


Taking Chances

by MiriMora



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Asshole parents, Blindfolds, Bottom Yuki, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Making Out, Mentions of homophobia, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Rimming, Slash, Smut, Spanking, Top Kyo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2019-11-12 18:30:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 62,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18016115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriMora/pseuds/MiriMora
Summary: Yuki is a writer who's drawing a blank on his latest blog post, so he stops by his local cafe for a cup of tea and some inspiration. Kyo is a temporary and very grumpy barista standing in for his sick best friend. These two don't know each other yet, but their worlds are about to collide. Who knows what happens when you start taking chances?





	1. They Meet

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever, so please don't roast me too harshly. I did not have a beta, so please forgive mistakes, too. Also, this is very AU, so liberties have been more than taken. This is rated for future chapters. The first is clean.

Yuki twirled his pen absently between two long fingers, teeth worrying his lower lip as he stared off into space, deep in thought. He’d been trying to come up with a beginning for his latest post for the past hour, and so far nothing was coming to him. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he set the pen down on his desk and slid his chair back, standing and stretching in one fluid motion. Perhaps he needed a break. Who knew? Maybe getting out of the house would inspire him. With that thought in mind, he crossed to his closet and pulled out a light jacket. The days were getting colder already, winter closing in, and the end of the year sneaking up on him before he was ready for it. Slipping into the coat as he made his way down the hall, he gave a cursory glance over his shoulder to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything before heading out the front door and locking it securely behind him. Tossing around possible topics in his head, only to discard each as unworthy after a cursory examination, he walked briskly down the road and made his way into the city in search of tea and pastries. And if his luck was any good maybe a bit of inspiration…

~~

The bell on the door tinkled as Yuki stepped into the cafe, noting that a good half of the tables were taken up with people quietly sipping something, a few nibbling at pastries, some on laptops or browsing their phones. The young man behind the counter looked up with a scowl upon hearing the bell, which made Yuki pause and blink a moment in surprise before hesitantly making his way up to the counter. He came to this particular cafe regularly when he was in a slump or just wanted a good cup of tea, and he hadn’t seen the man before. He was sure because no one could have forgotten that bright orange hair or the clearly vexed look on his face. _It was a nice face, too,_ Yuki thought. _At least it would be if he weren’t glowering at me.._

Careful to keep his own expression as pleasantly neutral as possible, Yuki cleared his throat and addressed the man at the counter. “I’d like a medium hot spiced chai please.” The other man muttered something under his breath, huffed, and finally answered with a curt “That’ll be 450 yen.” Blinking slowly, Yuki handed over the money and accepted his change before moving down the counter to wait as the grouchy barista began to bang around making his drink. He didn’t think he’d ever encountered someone quite so unpleasant in a customer service position before, and he idly wondered what had possessed the owner to hire the guy in the first place. A good 5 minutes passed before the barista slid his drink across the counter to him without so much as a word or even looking up at him before slouching off to clean the things he’d used to blend Yuki’s tea. Nonplussed, Yuki took his tea and headed over to a table with a clear view of the counter.

It looked like he’d missed the afternoon rush. Maybe that was why the barista was so out of sorts. Yuki sipped his tea, absently noting with surprise that it was actually quite nice. He’d honestly expected anything put out by the moody worker to be slap-dash and soured by his apparent temper. _I guess he’s not quite what he seems after all,_ Yuki thought as he watched the other man move around cleaning and grumbling to himself. _He **is** cute even with the frown, hmm._ With that train of thought, he continued to observe the barista as he idled and drank his tea. One slender-fingered hand lifted to tuck his straight silver hair behind his ear when a few strands fell across his face. He wondered again why the new guy had been hired and how long he’d stay. His lips twitched as he suppressed a smirk. An idea for his next blog post had just come to him. This outing had proved fruitful in more ways than one.

~~

Kyo sighed in frustration and swiped at the counter almost viciously with a clean rag. The afternoon rush had been brutal to handle by himself. Damn him and his weakness when it came to saying no to his best friend. Tohru had begged him to help out at the cafe when she’d come down with the flu and one of her part-timers had also fallen ill. She owned the shop with her husband Momiji, but the energetic blonde left most of the running of things to Tohru and a few part-time workers since his main focus was actually being a concert violinist. He was currently away again on one of his tours, and when Tohru got sick and couldn’t work she’d turned to Kyo in her desperation. He’d helped out a few times before, but it had almost always been in the back and when someone else was here as well. Kyo was awkward around people before he got to know them, and his temper usually got the best of him when he was flustered. Still, Tohru needed him, so here he was, running her cafe and trying his best not to lose his mind in the process.

He still hadn’t quite gotten his composure back when he heard the bell on the door jingle for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Looking up with a scowl, he saw that a man who looked to be around his own age had just walked in and was approaching the counter. _Not another one already..oh, he’s so..pretty…_ Kyo’s thoughts were interrupted by the young man clearing his throat and ordering tea in a clear, pleasant tone. Registering what the man had said, Kyo quietly berated himself under his breath for such an idiotic thought. Embarrassed, he barked the price at the customer and accepted payment and practically shoved the guy’s change at him before turning away sharply to begin making his tea. He couldn’t help but grab things and slam them around roughly as he tried to shrug off the interaction entirely. When the tea was brewed and poured, he slid it across the counter, gaze averted and turning away in hopes that he could hide his blush.

The silver-haired young man took the drink and went to sit at a table with no further attempt at communication, so Kyo sighed again, this time almost with regret and started to roughly rinse the tea things. Why couldn’t he act like a normal person with others? _That guy probably thinks I’m a lunatic, grumbling at him and tossing stuff around. I’m so stupid, ugh!_ Shaking his head, he put everything away before glancing out into the dining area to see how everything was going, if there was anything he needed to go straighten or if anyone needed help with something. It looked like things were finally settling down. A couple people were gathering their things and leaving as they finished their drinks, and but a few more were settling in with laptops and phones, which was fine. As his gaze slid over the chai tea guy he paused briefly. He really was beautiful, almost prettier than a girl, really. Not that Kyo cared about what girls looked like. He’d known he was gay since the 4th grade when his friends started pulling girls’ pigtails and whispering about who was cuter than who and he just..wasn’t interested.

While the boys were looking at the girls, Kyo found himself looking at them and the rest was history. He considered himself lucky. When he came out to his adopted father at 16, Shishou had just smiled and said as long as Kyo was happy it didn’t matter who he loved. Thinking of Shishou made him wonder how things were going at the dojo without him. He’d much rather be there helping out and teaching some of the younger classes than fumbling around Tohru’s cafe. Oh well, it was only for another week or two, just until the flu stopped going through all the part-timers. He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. _I’ll stop by to see how Tohru’s doing after this. If she’s still stuck in bed I’ll make her something. The dummy’ll probably push herself too hard otherwise and have a setback._ Nodding to himself, he went back to organizing a few things behind the counter, his calm slowly coming back to him now that he wasn’t swamped by orders or flustered by acting like a moron in front of gorgeous tea drinkers.

~~

His mind on fire with possibilities, Yuki finished off his tea and rose to go. Absently he glanced over at the counter, steel grey eyes roaming over the new barista one more time before he made his way toward the door. Throwing his cup away, he exited in a whoosh of cold air and walked briskly for home. _Customer service interactions in today’s market where the internet is slowly closing in on all kinds of services...how this affects small local business.._ His thoughts whirled with the direction he’d take his next post. Maybe he could even turn it into an article. He worked freelance as a writer, but his blog was his real passion. He covered a wide range of topics and tried to update as often as possible. Thought pieces were just one of the things he often found himself covering, but they went over just as well as anything else he did. Yuki had a very distinct style of writing, and people seemed to latch on to his way with words. He loved what he did, and that lent itself a lot to his success. Well, that and his drive to succeed. He’d been driven to prove his parents wrong ever since he’d changed his major in college from pre-law and went into writing instead. They’d been disappointed and told him he was ruining his life, but that was _nothing_ compared to their open disgust when they’d found out he was gay.

That was a year ago, and neither of them had spoken to him since. His big brother was the only one besides his cousins who still spoke to him, but then again their parents weren’t exactly thrilled with Ayame either. His brother owned a clothing store and designed specialty outfits for..let’s just say a niche market, but their parents hadn’t cut him off entirely because he’d at least married a woman, even if she was just as odd and into weird fashions as Aya was. Thinking about his brother made him tired. He loved Ayame, but he was just so..loud. About everything. With a wry laugh and a shake of his head, he found himself at his front door and went inside and shrugged out of his coat. Tossing it over the back of a chair, he went immediately to his desk and powered on his laptop and started typing. His thoughts were flowing too well to bother with pen and paper. He wanted to get this all down before it left him. 

A couple hours flew by and before he knew it it was starting to get dark. Lifting his head from his computer screen, he looked around his study and stretched, groaning slightly as he rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. He’d lost track of time, and now his stomach was howling at him that lunch time had been ages ago. With a sigh, Yuki got up and went to the kitchen, looking through his fridge and cabinets absently. He was a terrible cook, so he usually only kept instant meals or things that were easy to throw together in the house. Grumbling ruefully, he grabbed his phone and a couple of take-out menus and began to shuffle through them, trying to decide which he’d go with that night. _I wonder if barista boy can cook as well as he brews tea.._ Shaking his head at himself, he dialed one of the numbers and placed an order at a place he used regularly. What in the world was he doing thinking about a guy he’d interacted with once, who said a total of seven words to him and those brisk and uninterested at that? Still, he had been cute. Maybe he’d see him at the cafe again. There was no harm in looking, after all. With a thoughtful hum, Yuki plopped down on the couch with a book to wait for his dinner to arrive.

~~

It was closing time, and Kyo locked the door as the final customers trailed out of the cafe with a sigh of relief. He cleaned tables, swept and mopped the floor, and set up everything behind the counter for the morning shift before counting the register down and securing the day’s total in the safe in the back office before tucking the deposit bag under his arm and making his own way out the building, being sure to secure the door one last time before making his way to the bank to drop off the money in the overnight slot. That done he shot a text to Tohru to let her know he’d be dropping by to see how she was doing and caught the next bus heading to her and Momiji’s place. They had a fairly nice townhouse in the suburbs, a compromise since Tohru prefered the quiet to living in the city proper while Momiji enjoyed the perks of community living. He shook his head ruefully. He was with Tohru, personally. There was no way he’d want to live in the city. It was much too loud, too crowded, and closed off from nature.

No, Kyo was perfectly content to live on the outskirts of town, practically off the beaten path. It might take him longer to get to the dojo than Shishou or Kunimitsu, but being surrounded by trees, clean air, and most importantly, no neighbors right next to him was very much worth the trade-off to him. Nevermind that it took even longer to get to the cafe, but this situation was temporary. He just had to keep reminding himself of that, or he might just strangle his best friend the next time she asked him for another favor. He’d never actually consider such a thing, of course. Tohru had been with him through some of the darkest times in his life, and he’d do anything for her. Which was why he was getting off the bus and walking up to her door after sacrificing his day slaving at her cafe. He gave a perfunctory knock on the door before shrugging, inserting his key, and making his way into the entryway, yelling Tohru’s name as he bumped the door shut with his hip, locked it behind him, and slid his shoes off before stepping further into the house.

“Kyo-kun! Welcome! Thank you for today. It means so much to me that you’d help me with the cafe--” Tohru’s litany of gratitude was cut off abruptly by a fit of coughing as she came shuffling into the main living area from the hall that lead to her and Momiji’s bedroom. She was in her pajamas and had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, which she brought up to cover her mouth and nose when she started coughing so as not to spread her germs in his direction. He looked at her aghast and pointed back in the direction of her room, exasperation clear in his tone as he said, “What are you doing? Go back to bed! Honestly, Tohru, I swear I’m going to have to get you minder when that idiot husband of yours isn’t here. Hell, maybe when he is here. He’s no better than you are! Go, no protests. I’ll make you something to eat.” She went a little limp at his chiding and nodded and smiled meekly. “R-right! Back to bed. I’m on my way! You don’t have to go to all that trouble though, Kyo-kun. I could make..” and she trailed off at the look on his face and obediently turned around and made her way back down the hall to crawl back in bed.

Having at least gotten her to lay back down, Kyo set about making her some rice porridge with ingredients she had in the pantry. He’d been over plenty of times and knew his way around the kitchen almost as well as he knew his own or Shishou’s. When it was done, he set it on a tray with some tea he’d also made to help soothe her sore throat and made his way back to her room to serve it up and make sure she didn’t do anything else ridiculous like try to go see how her sick part-timers were doing when she herself was still so clearly out of it. This was not an unreasonable thought. She had done similar things before without him or her friends Uotani and Hanajima to stop her. Sometimes he wondered how she’d made it this far in life, and then he’d remind himself of all the emotional drama she’d rescued him from and told himself everyone had their strengths. Stepping into the room, he started talking before he was all the way through the doorway, “Hey, I brought you porridge. And tea for your throat. Have you been taking your medicine? When was the last time you heard from Momiji? When is that little nuisance coming back anyway?” She brightened and sat up as he came in and set the tray across her legs, nodding happily before replying, “Oh, thank you! This looks wonderful. It was so thoughtful of you to come check on me, Kyo-kun. Yes, I took them earlier, and Momiji-kun will be home next week. I talked to him about an hour ago. He said to tell you hello!”

He sat down on a chair across from the bed and folded his arms as he watched her pick up the spoon and take a few bites of the porridge before exclaiming that it was delicious and going into raptures about how wonderful it was that he’d come. Kyo let her rattle on for a while before smiling and shaking his head and interjecting to ask how she was doing. They talked while she ate, about how things were going at the cafe, how she and the sick part-timer were doing, and going over the way he’d split the remaining shifts with the other worker who was still well until Tohru was back on her feet. She also asked how things were going at the dojo, asked after his family, and they caught up amiably for an hour or so until he noted that she was both done with the porridge and starting to look a bit drowsy. “Alright, you, settle in and get some rest. I’ll take this stuff and clean up. Don’t worry about seeing me out. Just take it easy and call me or that yankie or Hanajima if you need anything.” Taking the tray from her, he brought the comforter up to her chin as she settled back into the pillows, her eyes already starting to droop. “Thank you, Kyo-kun, for everything. I will, I promise, and I’ll be sure to make it up to…” Her words trailed off as she dropped off to sleep before she could finish her thought.

He gave a half smile and shook his head at her before taking the tray back to the kitchen and cleaning up the dishes and putting everything away. With a last look around to make sure there was nothing else he should do for her before he headed home, he let himself out and locked her door. Now thoroughly exhausted, he made his way to the bus stop again to catch the next one that would get him home. He tried to remember what all he had at home that he could whip up a quick dinner for himself with before crawling into bed and passing out. He’d have to close at the cafe again tomorrow, so that meant another long day. The other part-timer who wasn’t sick could only work mornings. Casting his mind back on the happenings of the day he remembered the one customer who’d ordered tea and caught him so out of sorts. He put his head in his hands as he recalled how rude he’d been to the guy. _Way to make a first impression, dingus,_ he told himself silently. He wondered if the guy was a regular. Part of him hoped not purely to avoid dying of embarrassment, but another part of him, the very male part, hoped that he’d see that pretty face again. Groaning at himself he got off the bus at his stop and made himself jog home. _Mind out the gutter, pervert. Let’s go!_ Kyo practically fell through his door when he made it back, scored some left-overs he’d forgotten he hadn’t eaten yet, and shuffled off to shower and hit the sack. Tomorrow was another day.


	2. Sneaking Glances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two encounter each other at the cafe yet again, and this time is full of sneaking looks at one another! But outside it looks like a storm is brewing...

It had been three days since Kyo had seen the customer he’d dubbed chai tea guy, and he was finally giving up hope on him being a regular. This afternoon hadn’t been nearly as busy as that one had, and it was now winding down into evening. He’d cleaned nearly everything he could clean, and he was bored out of his mind standing behind the counter with nothing to do. There were only two other people in the cafe, an older woman with an iced latte and her nose buried in a book and a businessman typing away at his laptop and nursing an Americano. The bell on the door jangled, and the ginger looked up with an expression approaching eagerness. Anything had to be better than wiping down the counter one more time, right? He even started to rattle off a greeting when his eyes locked with the customer coming through the door and the words died on his tongue. This had to be some kind of cosmic joke. Or maybe his luck was finally starting to turn around...

~~

Yuki stepped through the doorway of the cafe, shaking his head a little to get his bangs out of his eyes. The wind was starting to pick up a bit, and dark clouds had rolled in from the east earlier in the afternoon, causing him to question his decision to stop in here on his way home in case of rain. He couldn’t quite resist after so long cooped up inside writing, though, and as luck would have it that cute new barista was at the counter again. He’d wondered if the temperamental man would last that long, but he seemed to be in a better mood today, at least judging by the look on his face. Yuki paused briefly when their eyes met for the first time, caught suddenly by the color of the other man’s eyes. They were almost the exact same shade of orange as his hair. _They’re so warm, like firelight.._ was the first thing that popped into his mind when he saw them. Blinking, he stepped up to the counter, breaking the silence and interrupting himself before he could take that thought any further. “Hello again. It seems much quieter today than the last time I was here. Might I get a--” 

“Chai tea, right?” The barista interjected before he could finish with a slight lift of his eyebrows. Yuki nodded, a half smile forming before he could stop himself, “And a croissant, too please.” He managed to keep his cool on the outside, but he couldn’t stop his brain from interjecting with a pleased, _He **remembers** me!_ Shoving that thought down, he dug out his money as the other man told him the total. He paid and then went to wait at the end of the counter. The ginger-haired man moved about with much less banging this time, and Yuki watched him with interest. He was almost graceful when he wasn’t angry, his motions both limber and assured as he moved around behind the counter. When the barista turned back toward him with both his drink and a plated croissant in hand it took Yuki a second to register that he was holding them out for him to take. “Your order’s ready.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was wool-gathering. Thank you very much.” Yuki accepted his drink and the pastry with a polite nod before heading over to a table. Luckily he’d brought a book with him, so he thumbed to the place he’d left off last and started to read while he sipped his tea and took occasional bites of his croissant. The pastries here were just as good as the tea, and this croissant was no exception, flaky and buttery perfection that dissolved in his mouth. If he were at home he’d probably be making appreciative noises as he consumed it, but he managed to contain himself when he remembered where he was. The book was largely a prop, and he was really only half paying attention to what it said. Instead he sneaked glances at the man behind the counter whenever he thought the other wasn’t looking. 

He idly wondered what had happened to the cafe owner. Yuki hadn’t seen her lately, but she was always so polite, even remembering his name and asking about his work when he stopped in to recharge. He hoped everything was alright. It didn’t seem like the cafe had changed hands, at least. The name was still the same, and they hadn’t remodeled or even modified the menu at all. Maybe the new barista was covering for some reason. That would make sense. It looked like he knew what he was doing, even if he hadn’t come across as very social at first..well, at all, really, but he’d been perfectly pleasant today. Yuki turned the page of his book without even reading a word of it, mulling over what to do next. If he could just figure out how to talk to him beyond ordering tea he might be able to actually get somewhere.

~~

Kyo’s mind went blank when their eyes met, and a shock ran down his spine, like he’d stuck his finger in a light socket or been struck by lightning. This had to be what that felt like, but for some reason his heart was still beating. He was still breathing somehow, and time hadn’t actually stopped. It just felt like it as he was caught by those startling silver eyes, and it took every ounce of his willpower to move forward smoothly and keep what he was feeling off his face. As the other man started to order, Kyo interjected at just the right moment, finishing chai tea guy’s sentence for him. _God, I hope that didn’t sound lame. Was I too obvious?_ He shut that line of thinking down and managed to get through the rest of the transaction without stuttering or turning red. He even caught the other guy a bit flat-footed when he handed over his order, and Kyo watched him walk over to a table and wondered what chai tea guy had been thinking about to make him space out like that.

Turning around, he moved to clean the things he’d used to make the order, taking his time and rinsing out everything slowly. It wasn’t like he’d have anything to do after he was finished. With a sigh, he put the last few items away and moved back to the front to survey the dining area. His gaze lingered on the silver-haired man who he now noted was reading a book. Good, that meant Kyo could look him over at his leisure without being caught out and look he did. _It should be a damn crime look that good. He’s probably not even into guys. What the hell am I doing?_ Grinding his teeth, he grabbed a rag and swiped at the counter even though it was already spotless. As he moved down the entire length of the counter, his hands moving as if in slow motion, he would steal glances at his new object of fascination. _God, what would it be like to touch him?_ Kyo’s hand spasmed as he grasped the rag even tighter and a hot blush crept up the back of his neck as he looked down. He hadn’t reacted this way to someone in a long time, and he couldn’t seem to stop the thoughts from spiraling into dangerous territory.

Thus preoccupied, he barely noticed when the man with the laptop packed up his things and slipped out, letting in a swirl of frigid air as the door clanged shut. It was that sound that snapped Kyo out of his thoughts, and he grabbed some cleaning spray and went out into the dining room to wipe down the table the businessman had used and throw away any leftover trash. Setting the spray bottle on the table, he straightened the chairs, tucking them neatly under the table and then knuckling his back absently as he looked outside to see what the weather was like. It had gotten even darker than it was earlier in the afternoon, and clouds heavy with rain were hovering low in the sky. _Good thing Tohru keeps extra umbrellas in the office. Looks like that’s not gonna hold out ‘til closing time, and of course I didn’t remember to grab one from home._ Shaking his head, he picked up the spray bottle and slipped back behind the counter to put it away. The phone in the office rang then, and blinking in mild surprise, Kyo disappeared into the back to answer it.

~~

Unbeknownst to the ginger, Yuki had almost been caught several times sneaking glances at him whenever both of them would start to look up at the same time. The last time it happened, he’d nearly panicked until he’d been saved by the man with the laptop getting up to leave. That had caught the barista’s attention, and to Yuki’s delight he’d even come out from behind the counter and been preoccupied with cleaning the table, leaving the blogger free to stare at him to his heart’s content. He was especially drawn to the other man’s hands. They were big, with long fingers, and what appeared to be a strong grip. _I wonder if he has calluses. Probably. He seems like a hard worker._ Yuki’s eyes widened just a bit as the other man bent from the waist as he wiped the table down. _God, his ass looks amazing. There’s no way he doesn’t work out…_

His thoughts continued along those lines until the barista had finished his cleaning and moved back behind the counter, much to Yuki’s disappointment. Shoulders slumping, he looked back down at his book. He didn’t even know what page he was on anymore. With a sigh, he turned it and pretended to read again as his thoughts drifted back to the other guy’s hands. Yuki wondered what it would feel like to be touched by those hands and shivered slightly at the idea. He didn’t know quite what had gotten into him. Sure, he hadn’t been with anyone in awhile, but this was a bit much. He’d seen this guy all of twice, and here he was imagining..well, he didn’t need to go there, that was all. But it was just fantasizing. It wasn’t like he was hurting anybody. His head came up in surprise at the muffled sound of a phone ringing, and he saw the ginger look in the direction it had come from and then head back, presumably to answer the call. _Damn, I can’t see him back there.._ His thoughts trailing off, he stuffed the rest of his croissant in his mouth and chewed, settling back in a bit of a sulk.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed, and the barista still hadn’t emerged from the back. Yuki was starting to wonder about that phone call when he was startled by a flash of lightning and the accompanying clap of thunder a few seconds later. The glass rattled in the windows with the boom of sound, causing him to flinch in reaction. He’d nearly forgotten that there was anyone else around, but he was made fully aware once again when the lady who’d been sipping a latte and reading gave a little scream and dropped her book in surprise. Head snapping around, he watched as she flushed and grabbed her things and hurried for the door. Yuki saw her make a dash for the bus stop, probably hoping to beat the rain. Chewing his lip, he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t brought an umbrella with him when he set out to run errands that morning. He hadn’t thought to check the weather forecast, and it had been sunny when he left.

More lightning and another peal of thunder shook the glass in the windows and the door. Yuki sighed and bemoaned his luck. There was no way he was going to make it home before it started raining. Setting his book aside he took another sip of his tea, watching the people on the streets moving about through the huge front windows of the cafe. He wondered what the phone call had been about if it was keeping the other man occupied for this long. Probably something to do with the running of a cafe, which Yuki had no idea about. Grimacing, he finished off his tea and stretched in his chair. That was when the bottom decided to fall out of the sky, and with a rumble, rain whooshed as if from nowhere, drumming down onto the pavement outside. _Well, crap..I guess I’m not going anywhere for awhile. If I get soaked in that mess I’ll catch a cold for sure._ He startled a bit as he heard someone curse behind him and jerked around to lock eyes with the speaker. The barista had come back out front while he’d been preoccupied watching the rain, and Yuki froze with the sudden realization that they were alone. What the hell was he going to do now…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter, but if I lumped this whole encounter into one chapter they'd be hugely disproportionate. So stick with me for next time! Forgive any mistakes or AU weirdness, and thank you all for reading my first fic! I was so encouraged by the responses to the first chapter that I can't wait to keep going! ^.^/


	3. Tongue-tied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So our boys are all alone and stuck inside to wait out the storm. Whatever will they get up to in the meantime?

Kyo sighed and hung up the phone. That had been one of the longest 20 minutes of his life. It had been a supplier asking about reorders for the cafe, and he was definitely not prepared to answer any of those questions. So he’d spent the last 20 minutes juggling the supplier on the business phone and frantically texting Tohru on his cell. Between the two he’d managed to get everything reordered properly, but now he was thoroughly exhausted and more than ready to close up the cafe and head home. Unfortunately there was still nearly two hours left to go before it usually closed. Tohru had said he could close early if he ever needed to, but he felt bad changing the hours of her cafe just because he got overwhelmed now and then. It only took one bad review from someone who had come expecting them to be open to leave a bad impression, and he wasn’t going to let that happen on his watch. With a grimace he stood, stretched, and headed back out into the dining area.

As soon as he stepped out of the back he could hear the rain, and before he could think better of it he let out a curse because _of course_ he was going to have to walk home from the bus stop in it. Even with a borrowed umbrella it was going to be a cold and miserable journey to his house. This was the only drawback to living on the edges of civilization, but it was definitely an inconvenient one today. His eyes roamed the dining room before zeroing in on chai tea guy. Their gazes locked, and he had two realizations almost simultaneously. One, the other guy had probably just heard him curse, and two, they were alone in the cafe. The lady with the book must’ve cut out while he was in the back and escaped before the rain. Lucky her. Kyo fidgeted in place, not quite sure what to do now. It was just him and a smoking hot guy he’d just happened to have embarrassed himself in front of upon their first meeting, and now he’d done it again.

He was the first one to look away, his cheeks burning as he shifted in place. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat and started talking before he could overthink it. “Er..sorry about that. I kind of forgot anyone was here. I mean..I didn’t forget, but I...just, sorry. Umm..it’s raining pretty hard, so feel free to wait it out. I can refill your tea if you want, no charge or anything..” Kyo kind of trailed off after making the offer, both running out of steam and blanking on what else he could say. He sort of hovered in place, half thinking to go over to the guy’s table and half thinking he should go back behind the counter. His gaze darted back up briefly to gauge chai tea guy’s reaction and seeing that he was sort of nonplussed, his mouth half open as if he wasn’t quite sure how to respond made Kyo look away again rather quickly. _I want to just disappear. God, if you don’t hate me please just erase the last five minutes and give me a do-over…_

Unfortunately for him God was not feeling so inclined. The silence stretched for what felt like forever but was probably only a minute or two at the most until the silver-haired man cleared his own throat and replied with, “It’s fine. I wanted to curse, too. No one wants to walk home in the rain, especially when it’s cold out. I..would love a refill, thank you, Mister..?” Startled, he lifted his head and met the guy’s eyes with his own again and moved almost without thinking about it, as if his body had a mind of its own. Walking to the guy’s table, he reached out and took his cup, their fingers brushing as the customer released it with a slight widening of his eyes, clearly surprised at the touch but not making any effort to move away from Kyo’s sudden closeness. The ginger finally answered as his hand closed around the cup, gaze still locked with the other man’s, “No mister. Just Kyo. Kyo Sohma. I’m filling in for the owner..ah, that is, it’s temporary..she’s out sick, and that first time I was still getting used to everything and..you didn’t ask about any of that. I’m going to stop talking now.” Mortified, he hurried back behind the counter to start brewing more tea, his face, neck, and even his ears almost as bright as his hair.

~~

Yuki blinked at the onslaught of information, just sort of sitting frozen while the barista seemed to talk faster and faster the more nervous he got. When he stopped and rushed back to refill his cup, the silver-haired man smirked, unable to contain himself entirely as he caught the blush that had spread across Kyo’s cheeks before he’d turned away. Standing up, he made his way over to the counter as well, keeping to the customer side and following the ginger’s movements with his eyes as he jerked back and forth with the tea things. _He’s nervous. That’s so..cute._ Yuki’s smirk widened into a grin that he had to hide behind his hand before he could school his face to one of polite interest. He didn’t want the other man to think he was laughing at him. Yuki got the impression that that would go over about as well as getting stuck out in the rain would have. He’d almost glossed right over the fact that they shared the same last name. Hmm, well the Sohmas were a huge family with so many branches that he couldn’t even keep track anymore. The chances of them being even remotely related, while not small, were really inconsequential in the long run.

Making sure none of his amusement escaped in his tone, he inclined his head toward the barista even though he wasn’t looking in Yuki’s direction at the moment. In fact, Kyo seemed to be doing everything he could to avoid doing just that. “What a coincidence. I’m a Sohma myself, but please, call me Yuki. I’d been wondering about the owner, actually. I’m usually in here a couple times a week, and she’s always so nice. I’m sorry to hear she’s not feeling well. I hope it’s nothing serious?” He smiled as he watched Kyo stop in surprise when he said his name before the other man resumed what he’d been doing. It was only another few moments before the ginger poured the tea into his cup and turned around to hand it over and respond, “Oh..small world about the name. I’m adopted, though, so no relation, probably, hah..” Kyo shifted nervously before continuing. “She’ll be fine. It’s the flu. One of the other part-timers got it, and of course she just had to play nursemaid and catch it herself. So you’re a regular, huh?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he tried to contain his mirth, but Kyo’s jitters were just so adorable that he was finding it difficult to do. Accepting the tea almost absently, he leaned forward slightly and continued to engage the other man in conversation. “I’m glad she’s going to be alright. The flu is pretty nasty this season, and that does sound like something she’d do. She’s very kind, seems to put others before herself. I guess I’d call myself a regular, sure. Enough to have chatted with her from time to time. It’s funny, but she’s actually married to one of my cousins. Distant cousin, mind you, but still. I remembered him vaguely from New Years celebrations when we were younger, but it wasn’t until I started coming to the cafe that we really caught up again. I know you’re working and all, but it’s raining pretty hard. Would you care to sit with me? I’d like the company.” He looked up at him hopefully, a smile still playing at the corners of his mouth.

As Yuki waited for Kyo’s answer, he almost forgot to breathe in anticipation, and he exhaled in a small whoosh when the ginger finally stopped fidgeting and met his gaze. “Sure, I’d like that. I doubt anybody else is gonna come in with all that goin’ on,” the barista stated with a wave of his hand toward the window to indicate the weather. Yuki brightened and noted that Kyo grabbed something from under the counter before he turned and headed back to his table and sank into the chair he’d occupied before. He idly wondered where the ginger would choose to sit and contemplated the pros and cons of both sitting beside him and across from him until the other man came around from behind the counter and crossed the dining room to slide into the chair across from him. Pursing his lips in thought, it was a moment or two before he spoke again. “So what do you do when you’re not a temporary barista?” He looked up at Kyo again, his tone almost playful.

~~

Settling himself across from Yuki, he unscrewed the top of the water bottle he’d grabbed from under the counter and took a sip before setting it on the table and looking back up at him. His attention was suddenly snagged by the shape of the other man’s mouth, and it took a moment for Kyo to register that Yuki had asked him a question. “Huh? Oh, sorry. Uh, if you mean what I do for a living I help at my family’s dojo, teaching the younger classes, that sort of thing. What about you?” Leaning back in his chair, he took the opportunity to admire the silver-haired man’s features under the guise of being attentive as he waited for a reply. _He’s so delicate-lookin’.. He’d probably bash my face in if I said that out loud, though. Just got a feelin’ about that, heh._ Blinking and pulling back into focus, he listened as Yuki spoke again. “Martial artist, hmm? I took classes when I was younger. I was small for my age, so bullies needed convincing to look elsewhere. But I digress. I’m a writer, freelance mostly, but I run a blog, too. What about your free time? What do you do for fun?” 

Kyo’s eyebrows drew down in a frown when Yuki mentioned bullies. He hated them, and the fact that it had been when the other man was little didn’t lessen his immediate protective instincts from rumbling. “Kids can be assholes. They were probably just jealous cuz you were cuter ‘n them.” Yuki’s face broke out into a grin at that, and he couldn’t help but interject, “You think I’m cute?” The ginger froze, his orange eyes slowly traveling up to meet the other man’s gaze. Well, there was no backpedaling from that one. “Er..well, sure. I mean, you must’ve been. Back then. Not that you aren’t good looking now. Uh...objectively…” Kyo coughed and cleared his throat. “What were we talking about? Hobbies. I like martial arts. Obviously. Umm..I like the outdoors. Hiking, camping, rock-climbing. That sort of thing. What do you like besides tea?” He ran his hand through his hair and looked away before grabbing his water and taking a gulp, hoping that Yuki would give him a break.

Apparently he was because while Yuki’s eyes shone with amusement, he only dug at him a little bit before rolling with the subject change. “Other than yanking your chain, you mean? I like gardening and reading, mostly. Sometimes my cousins will drag me out with them, and a friend of mine runs a game night at his place every other weekend. I’d stay in all the time if it weren’t for them, probably, heh.” Kyo took all this in, shooting Yuki a long-suffering look at his first comment that quickly shifted into polite interest when he moved on to his actual hobbies. _Figures that he’d be more of a homebody. He has such nice skin.._ Shoving his thoughts aside, he shook his head slightly and took another slow drink of water before asking him a question. “So what kinda games? Tohru tried to get that goin’ at her place a couple times, but there was a lot of yelling and not as much playing.” He listened while Yuki went on to explain what sounded like a complicated nerd game with dice and little figures and something about character sheets.

“So what you’re sayin’ is that you’re a huge nerd. Got it. You said you liked gardening, right? You sure you can stand gettin’ your hands dirty like that? I bet you wear gloves all the time. Wouldn’t wanna mess up your nails or nothin’.” Kyo grinned at the other man, figuring it was his turn to give Yuki a hard time. He saw that he’d scored a hit when he saw him scowl at being called a nerd, but the ginger’s grin faltered when Yuki gave him a low-lidded look and slouched forward in his chair, one arm extending across the table toward him. One slender index finger tapped Kyo’s forearm before sliding slowly down to his wrist, Yuki’s nail tracing idle circles against the tender skin on the underside of it. When Yuki replied, his voice was almost husky, dripping with innuendo, “I don’t know about that, Kyo. I don’t mind getting dirty, and I’m pretty good with my hands.” The ginger swallowed audibly, his eyes wide when they met Yuki’s narrowed ones. _Oh my god…_ was all Kyo could think. He definitely couldn’t form words with Yuki touching his arm like that.

~~

Yuki was enjoying himself immensely at Kyo’s expense, but even he felt the tone shift when he reached out and touched the other man’s arm. Now poor Kyo was speechless and staring at him as if he’d forgotten how to talk. _Well this is certainly doing wonders for my ego. He’s just so fun to tease. He has no idea how adorable he is either._ It was that train of thought that encouraged the silver-haired man to keep going, intrigued to see just how far he could push before Kyo would react. Letting his gaze drop to Kyo’s mouth then quickly flicking back up to meet those warm orange eyes again, Yuki slowly licked his lips before prodding the ginger for a response, “Earth to Kyo..cat got your tongue?” He gave him a slow, lazy smile then, the finger that had been tracing patterns on the inside of his wrist stopping at his pulse point and pressing against it gently for emphasis.

He was entirely unprepared for what happened next. Kyo’s gaze had dropped to Yuki’s mouth when the writer had glanced down, just as he’d intended it to, and the ginger was looking at him like a starving man looked at food. But it seemed like the other finally fully registered what he’d said because Kyo jerked sideways out of surprised embarrassment, turning beet red and also managing to send his water bottle careening across the table. It bounced once before tipping over onto its side and rolling, spilling water all over the table and consequently down Yuki’s front and into his lap. Both of them leapt to their feet, Yuki cursing under his breath and swiping at his wet clothes rather hopelessly and Kyo frantically grabbing for napkins and coming back to try to dab ineffectually at Yuki’s shirt and exclaiming, “Shit! I’m so sorry. Here, let me..” He stopped and looked back up at the other man’s face when Yuki started laughing helplessly.

“I guess I deserved that,” he choked out between bouts of mirth. Taking some of the napkins from him, he pressed them into the cloth of his pants to soak up some of the moisture. “Well, I didn’t avoid getting soaked after all.” Yuki gestured toward the windows where the rain continued to beat down unceasingly outside. Kyo huffed a laugh before shaking his head and moving over to the door. Flipping the sign from open to closed, he turned the lock before stepping back over to Yuki and giving him a half smile. “If you wanna come to the back I have a change of clothes I could lend ya. They might be a bit big, but I can throw your stuff in the dryer. Tohru’s got a laundry room for the linens and stuff back there. Said taking it home got to be such a hassle this was easier.” Yuki blinked a bit as he considered. He just been flirting outrageously with this guy, and now he was supposed to take his clothes off? He couldn’t help himself. He really couldn’t…

Tossing the napkins into the nearest trash bin, he slowly stalked over to Kyo, leaning in a bit closer than was necessary and looking up at him through his lashes. “Did you just ask me to take my clothes off, Kyo?” He knew he was laying it on a bit thick, but the ginger had just left the door wide open. Yuki’d be damned if he wasn’t going to walk right through it. To hell with it. He was attracted to him, and Kyo obviously had similar inclinations toward him. It had been such a long time since he’d had this much fun, and if he got more out if it than he’d originally bargained for, well, lucky him. _It shouldn’t be this easy to set someone off, but he’s so red right now. I want to kiss him. I wonder if he’ll run if I get any closer.._ His thoughts continued on in this vein as he waited to see what Kyo would do next.

~~

Kyo had stilled when Yuki started coming closer, and his face got progressively redder as he realized what the other man had said. Now Yuki was looking up at him, practically inches away, and he was about to find out that he’d reached Kyo’s limit. A sort of calm fell over the ginger for a moment as he looked down and met those cool silver eyes with his own heated orange ones, and then he was moving. Almost without thinking about it he cupped Yuki’s chin in his hand, canted his head sideways and kissed him, eyes sliding shut as his lips met the other’s. The writer’s eyes went wide then slowly drifted shut as well as he kissed him back, hands grasping at Kyo’s shirt as he lost himself in the moment. Encouraged by the response, Kyo deepened the kiss, his mouth opening against Yuki’s, tongue sliding along the other’s bottom lip, seeking entry.

The smaller man gasped, and Kyo smiled into the kiss in a very male fashion before taking advantage, his tongue delving into Yuki’s mouth and exploring ruthlessly. He might not be as quick with words as the man in his arms, but he was plenty good at this. Expressing himself physically had always been Kyo’s specialty, and he did so now, the hand that wasn’t cupping Yuki’s face moving to wrap around his waist and pull the other man against him snugly. He kissed him like he was going to devour him from the mouth down, and Kyo wasn’t sure anymore if that wasn’t exactly what he wanted right in that moment. _He tastes so good. God, I wanted to do this the minute I saw him. I think I’m losing my mind._ The best part was the way Yuki was responding to him. He felt the other man go boneless against him, his hands still clutching almost desperately at the ginger’s shirt. With a pleased growl, he continued to kiss Yuki senseless, only forced stop when both of them had to catch their breath. 

Kyo inhaled and exhaled hard through his nose, looking down the man in his arms with an intent expression. He really, really didn’t want to let him go, or even stop what they’d been doing for that matter. Meanwhile, Yuki was gasping for air and trembling slightly in reaction to the kiss. His gaze slid up to meet the ginger’s, and he swallowed slowly, mouth opening as if to say something, then closing again when he couldn’t find the words. Kyo’s mouth quirked up in a half-grin, and he ran his thumb along Yuki’s jawline slowly, his tone both affectionate and smug at the same time. “Cat got who’s tongue now, huh?” Leaning forward, he brushed his lips lightly against Yuki’s before nibbling at his bottom lip playfully. When the only response he got was a low moan, Kyo tugged that lip into his mouth and sucked gently.

He felt Yuki sag against him and braced himself, tightening his grip on the other man’s waist. Yuki’s fingers unclenched from Kyo’s shirt and slid up and around his neck instead. He released that lush lower lip with a wet pop and nuzzled along Yuki’s jaw, trailing soft kisses to his ear. He blew gently against the skin there and felt Yuki shudder against him as a strangled noise escaped his throat. Much happier now that he had the upper hand, Kyo decided to give the poor guy a break and pressed a kiss to his throat before pulling his head back and peering down at him, his gaze still heated. “Yuki, your clothes are still wet. Let’s go to the back. I’ll get you my spares out my gym bag.” He raised his eyebrows a bit as he waited on a reply. He left a little space between their bodies now, but he still kept his arm around the other man’s waist to steady him, his other hand moving to touch his shoulder.

~~

Dazed, Yuki blinked up at Kyo, his mind slowly coming back into focus from its previously pleasant haze. Once he was actually forming coherent thoughts again he flushed and dropped his gaze again, almost mumbling his reply, “That..that sounds good. Thank you.” He reluctantly pulled away, his hands falling from their hold around Kyo’s neck. Still embarrassed by the kissing and how much he’d enjoyed it, Yuki kept his eyes down and followed the other man when he led the way to the back office. The ginger rummaged around in a gym bag before handing over some sweat pants and a hoodie. Kyo assured him they were clean, then he told Yuki to go ahead and use the office to change and just come get him out in the hall when he was done. When the silver-haired man nodded quietly, the barista left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

With a heavy sigh, Yuki ran his hands through his hair, his mind a tangled mess of thoughts. _What the hell am I doing? We barely know each other, and I’m making out with him in his friend’s cafe? Which he was insanely good at, and god, I’m so turned on right now..shit._ Stripping out of his wet things he piled them all together and quickly stepped into the sweats. Thank goodness they had a drawstring, or they’d have never stayed up around his slender hips. Tightening it and tying it off, he pulled the hoodie on over his head and snuggled his nose into the fabric, inhaling lightly. It smelled like detergent, hmm. That was slightly disappointing. A small part of him had hoped it would smell like Kyo. 

Shaking his head at himself, he balled up his wet shirt and pants, and marshaling what was left of his dignity he opened the office door. “Um..Kyo, I’m done changing. Y..you said something about a dryer?” The ginger looked up when the door opened, and Yuki swallowed nervously when their eyes met. Kyo approached him slowly and took the wet clothes out of his arms almost gently. “Yeah, sure thing. If you wanna sit down in the break room or something feel free. There’s a couch, chairs, whatever. I’ll be right back.” The ginger pointed the way just a bit further down the hall, then vanished around the corner, presumably to go put his clothes through a quick cycle. Worrying his lower lip with his teeth, Yuki drifted into the break room, which had been easy to find, and sank onto the couch with a soft exhale.

He didn’t have long to wait before Kyo rounded the corner and made his way into the room as well. Yuki’s eyes followed him the way prey tracked hunters with their gaze, almost wary, and he even flinched a little when the other man sank down next to him on the couch. Kyo noticed and arched his eyebrows at him, scooting back just a bit to give Yuki some room. Holding up his hands to show he had no other intentions, he spoke low and soft, “Hey, about before..I’m sorry if I took things too fast. I’m not gonna pounce on you or nothin’...” Kyo trailed off, his gaze searching Yuki’s before he continued. “Look, I like you, and I think you like me, too. I know we sort of got ahead of ourselves a bit, but am I off base here?” Yuki watched Kyo clench his hands together in his lap, presumably to resist the urge to touch him again. His mind was a whirl with everything that had happened since he’d stepped into the cafe. This was all so sudden, but Kyo wasn’t wrong. There was something here. The question was, what was Yuki going to do about it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter got a little steamy. Their thoughts are in italics, and I finally figured out that they weren't formatted correctly and fixed that in the previous chapters. Sorry for any confusion there. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it, and I promise I'll try to have the next chapter out to you soon!


	4. Time Flies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo wants to know where Yuki stands. What will Chai Tea Guy say? And where will things go from there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up a bit in this chapter, folks, and we're gonna earn that Mature rating. Consider yourself warned. Also, thank you to everyone who's stuck with me. I hope you enjoy.

Licking his lips, Yuki shifted in his spot on the couch, his brows drawn together as he looked down at his hands, which were resting lightly on his knees. Was it really just minutes ago that he and Kyo had been locked together in a heated embrace in the dining room of the cafe? It felt like time had slowed down, or maybe it was just him trapped, his mind moving just as slowly as he searched inside himself for the answer to the redhead’s question. _I like him. I definitely like kissing him, and I like looking at him, too. But it isn’t just that. He’s hot-tempered, fun to tease, considerate.. It’s just so easy to be with him._ Closing his eyes and taking a moment to still his thoughts, he exhaled softly and then looked back up at Kyo, meeting the other man’s wondering gaze.

“Kyo..no, you’re not off base. I do like you, so much that it caught me off guard. I mean, we’ve just met. We’ve barely talked at all. This is crazy. I..I don’t do things like this. But here we are.” He gestured between the two of them with one hand and then casually around the room to emphasize his point. He smiled ruefully as he continued, “The first time I came in and you were working the counter I almost thought you were going to bite my head off, but I realized you were just having one of those days. When I came back today and saw you I..well, I was glad. I’d hoped you’d be here, and that’s weird for me. Being attracted to you is one thing, but being drawn in, wanting to do more than just admire you and move on? That hasn’t happened to me in a long time, and then we kissed. It was...it wasn’t nothing, that’s for sure.” He held Kyo’s gaze even though his cheeks pinked slightly when he brought up the kiss. 

His fingers worried the cuffs of the borrowed hoodie as he waited for some kind of response, and it was a moment of pensive silence before the ginger spoke, his voice still soft, almost careful. “ _Definitely_ not nothing, and I know what you mean. It’s been..awhile for me, too.” He watched as Kyo paused and drummed his fingers against his thighs before seeming to make a decision and continuing, “The first time you saw me was actually my first day running the front on my own. I’ve helped out a bit before, but there was like this huge rush right before you came. I was..I get..frustrated. I’m not..good with people. I felt like such an asshole. When you came back in today I wanted to crawl under the counter.” Yuki smiled slightly at that and shook his head a little. 

After a moment’s consideration he scooted closer to the ginger and reached out, placing his hand over one of Kyo’s reassuringly. “I noticed. You have a bit of a temper.” He arched his eyebrows at the other man and continued, “You’re not an asshole. You were just overwhelmed. It happens to everybody. Assholes don’t close shop early and lend customers their clothes when they get wet.” He waggled the hand that wasn’t grasping Kyo’s at the other man for emphasis, the cuff completely engulfing his fingers with the motion so he ended up brandishing the sleeve of the over-large garment at him instead. At that Kyo snorted a laugh and reached out, pushing the sleeve back up Yuki’s arm and taking both of the silver-haired man’s hands in his own. Yuki gulped and looked up at Kyo, the physical contact making him flush again.

~~

Amusement still dancing in his eyes despite the effort he made to curb his grin, Kyo squeezed the silver-haired man’s hands gently to reassure him and continued their conversation. “To be fair it was also my fault you got wet in the first place. I’m starting to think it was worth it though.” He sat back a bit and gave Yuki a very obvious look over before returning his gaze to the writer’s, and this time when he spoke the huskiness was back in his voice. “It’s kind of hot seeing you wearing my clothes…” Trailing off, he slowly leaned into the other man, giving Yuki every opportunity to pull back or stop him if his advances weren’t wanted. When he was met with only slightly widened but very eager silver eyes, Kyo closed the remaining distance between them and claimed Yuki’s mouth in a scorching kiss.

The temporary barista hadn’t been joking about the clothes. Seeing Yuki in his oversized hoodie had driven Kyo’s thoughts straight to the boyfriend’s shirt stereotype, and he was far from immune to the image in his head of Yuki slung across a bed in that hoodie and nothing else. His control on his desire wavering, he released the slimmer man’s hands to instead wrap his own around Yuki’s waist and drag him into his lap. The writer gave a strangled gasp as he found himself straddling the ginger sitting up, and it became very quickly apparent that Kyo was quite happy to have him there. His grip on Yuki’s hips tightened as he deepened the kiss, and Yuki’s reservations crumbled along with the writer’s reason. Kyo felt Yuki’s fingers tangle in his hair, and he hissed out a sound that was half pleasure, half pain when the writer tugged on it sharply.

They both came up for air from the kiss, and while Yuki gulped in air and arched into Kyo slightly, the ginger took the opportunity to kiss and nibble his way down Yuki’s throat. He felt the other man responding to him, as their hips were now pressed tightly against each other’s, and with a smug smile, he bit lightly at a tender spot on Yuki’s neck before soothing the abused flesh with a flick of his tongue. Kyo growled in reaction to Yuki’s moans at the attention being paid to his neck, and his hands slid from the other’s hips to cup his backside and pull him even tighter against the now almost painful bulge in his pants. He began to rock his hips against Yuki’s and stopped ravaging the other’s neck to capture his mouth again. He’d have to remember that the writer’s neck was a sensitive zone. He could definitely make use of that information later.

In the meantime he thrust his tongue into Yuki’s mouth, deep and forceful, mirroring the motion of his hips against the other’s. The hands in his hair slid free, and to Kyo’s surprise at his daring, began unbuttoning his shirt. When Yuki had it completely undone, he shoved it off Kyo’s shoulders, and the ginger obliged him by letting go of his ass long enough to slide his arms free of the sleeves before grabbing him again and squeezing and massaging Yuki’s perfect rear. The next time they parted to breathe, Kyo resumed his attentions to Yuki’s neck, focusing on the spot he’d nipped before, now gently sucking on the porcelain flesh. He felt the writer’s hands exploring his chest and shoulders before sweeping behind him to knead his back. Groaning, Kyo shuddered at the touch and tightened his hold on the other man almost spasmodically.

~~

Yuki swept his nails down the ginger’s back, not quite hard enough to break skin, but leaving several reddened trails in his wake. The other man’s lavishing attention at his neck was driving him mad, and he couldn’t control the moans that escaped him, nor could he stop himself from grinding his hips against Kyo’s. He felt his brain turning to mush as need overwhelmed everything else, and taking the other man’s head in his hands, he tugged him away from his neck and kissed him almost desperately. The slightly taller man slid his hands up underneath the hoodie, circling around to Yuki’s front and caressing his abdomen before exploring upward. When Kyo’s fingers found his nipples and pinched and rolled them slowly, Yuki broke the kiss with a yell, back arching and head falling back, his hands clutching the other man’s shoulders as he shook in reaction.

The taller man used his right hand to continue to toy with that nipple while he dipped his head and took the left into his mouth, biting softly before sucking on it slowly. Yuki keened and gripped Kyo’s head in his hands to hold him where he was. He writhed in place, hips rocking against the ginger’s faster now. Pleasure was spiraling through him in rising waves, and he didn’t know anything in that moment but _want_. The hoodie was now ruched up above his chest and at this point nothing but a hindrance, so Yuki pulled it over his head and tossed it aside without looking to see where it landed. He ran his hands through Kyo’s hair as the man switched to teasing his other nipple with his mouth, looking down at him with eyes that had gone molten with heat.

After a few moments of simply allowing himself to revel in the attention Kyo continued to lavish on his body, he tugged at the ginger’s hair insistently until he lifted his head, and Yuki took the opportunity to kiss him fiercely. Their tongues battled for dominance this time, whereas in most of their previous kisses Kyo had quickly taken control. Yuki gave a little growl of his own and twisted Kyo’s nipples with slender fingers, much as the other man had done to him before, and was gratified when this elicited ragged groans from the ginger, which were muffled by Yuki’s mouth on his. He didn’t think he’d ever been this hard in his life, and it was a sweet ache that was now bordering on pain. Pulling back from the kiss, he met Kyo’s gaze and stroked his hands over the tanned skin of his chest and down his sides, exploring the other man’s body with eager fascination.

Regaining enough of his senses to form coherent thought now that Kyo’s mouth wasn’t busy devouring every part of him he could reach, Yuki leaned his forehead against the other man’s and murmured softly, “Remind me to borrow your clothes more often from now on.” Smiling, he then scooted back a bit and trailed kisses along Kyo’s jaw, nuzzling gently until he got to the spot just beneath the other man’s ear. Eyes narrowing thoughtfully, he nibbled lightly on the ginger’s earlobe before pulling it into his mouth and sucking gently. When Kyo gasped and went rigid against him he knew he was on the right track. He felt hands grip his hips again almost painfully so and sucked harder in response. The other man bucked against him, teeth clenched and breath whistling through them harshly as he fought for control of himself.

~~

Kyo was desperately trying to pull himself together, but Yuki’s mouth on his earlobe was liquefying his brain. It had started out as kissing, but before he knew it they were both shirtless and _oh **god** , if he doesn’t stop doing that I can’t be responsible for what happens next._ Pulling his head back forced Yuki to release his earlobe with a wet pop, and he caught the other man’s gaze with his own, one hand letting go of his hip to touch him on the chest instead in a wordless attempt to pause and let them both cool down. Breathing hard and digging for every last scrap of his self-control, he stopped rocking his hips into Yuki’s, which he was amused to find earned a displeased grunt from the writer.

When he saw awareness spilling back into Yuki’s expression, he gave him a rueful half-smile and loosened the death-grip he had on the other’s hips. He didn’t let go, however, and his thumbs stroked the skin just above the hem of the borrowed sweats. His voice was slightly strained, and he had to clear his throat twice before he could speak. “Yuki..I’m just checking in here, but are we doing this? Okay, that sounded stupid, I know, but you said this was fast and--” Interrupting him with a kiss, Yuki threaded his fingers through Kyo’s hair, his tongue moving languidly against the taller man’s. The ginger groaned and gave in, kissing him back hungrily.

His hands on Yuki’s hips weren’t enough. He wanted him closer. One arm snaked around his waist, pulling the shorter man flush against him, chest to chest. His other hand cupped the back of Yuki’s head, fingers teasing the hair at the nape of his neck as he drew out the kiss for a few moments more. When they finally came up for air, he met the other’s gaze with a mix of tenderness and want in his eyes. For his part, Yuki kept stroking Kyo’s hair as he organized his thoughts before replying. “I know what I said, and you’re right. It is fast, but if it wasn’t okay I wouldn’t have kissed you back. Or taken off your shirt. Or kept egging you on when I knew how crazy I was making you.” Yuki gave him an impish smile at that last part before continuing, “We don’t have to do..y’know… _everything_ , but I’m enjoying myself. I want to be here. Doing this. With you. Good?”

Drawing in a ragged breath, Kyo exhaled slowly and let his eyes slide shut halfway as he leaned his head into Yuki’s touch. He’d always liked having his hair stroked, but he’d have died before he ever admitted it out loud. When the smaller man acknowledged that he’d known _exactly_ what he was doing when he kept sucking on Kyo’s earlobe, the ginger shot him a dirty look and huffed before being mollified by Yuki reassuring him that he wanted what was happening. It helped that the silver-haired man had removed some of the pressure by mentioning that they didn’t necessarily have to jump right to intercourse. For one thing, they didn’t have lube or condoms, and Kyo wanted to pace himself a bit. He wanted more firsts with this man, and he was just beginning to realize how much. Nodding, he answered Yuki in the affirmative, “Yeah, really good,” and with that he resumed kissing the other man, this time a little more urgency in his touch.

~~

Yuki sighed into the ginger’s mouth as his eyes slid shut, and he kissed him back fervently. He was gratified when he felt Kyo resume the movement of his hips against his and rocked into him eagerly. The other man’s thumbs slowly stroking the v of his hip bones made him arch into the touch, and his own hands slid from Kyo’s hair to wrap around him and massage the firm muscles of his back. After an indeterminate amount of time of trading heated kisses and exploratory caresses, Yuki pulled his head back and caught Kyo’s gaze before slowly moving his hands to the waist of Kyo’s cargo pants. He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if seeking permission, and when the other man breathed out slowly and nodded an affirmative he proceeded to pop the button and undo his zipper. Supporting his weight on his hands, Kyo lifted his hips as Yuki hooked his thumbs through the hem of both pants and boxer briefs and tugged them down the ginger’s legs in one go.

Breathing out in a rush, his eyes widened slightly as he caught his first glimpse of Kyo’s erection as it sprang free of the confining fabric. He spoke before his brain caught up with his mouth. “Wow..you’re...wow..” Yuki trailed off after that because his expression sort of spoke for itself. There was both admiration and just a smidgen of trepidation. Kyo was..not small. It wasn’t that Yuki didn’t have a nice cock because he very much did. It was slightly above average, and he’d never had any complaints. But Kyo had two inches on him at least, and he was slightly thicker. Realizing his mouth was still slightly open, he closed it abruptly and blushed at the self-satisfied smirk on the ginger’s face.

When Kyo cupped his face in his hands and kissed him slowly, Yuki’s embarrassment melted away, quickly replaced by a growing need to be rid of the borrowed sweatpants. Since his own hands were still free he took the opportunity to arch up a bit and slide them down and slowly wiggle one leg at a time out of the offending garment. He wobbled a bit as he was shaking them off his remaining foot and caught himself by grabbing Kyo’s shoulders. His laugh was muffled by the ginger’s mouth on his, and he lowered himself back into the other man’s lap, shuddering when their arousals brushed against each other. His grip on the other’s shoulders tightened, and he kissed him harder, tongue thrusting against Kyo’s insistently.

The ginger growled into the kiss and reached down between them to grasp both their dicks in his hand, slicking the lengths with their already dripping pre-cum before starting to stroke with practiced ease. It might’ve been awhile, but there are some things one never forgets, much like riding a bicycle or tying one’s shoes. Yuki gave a strangled cry and bucked into Kyo’s grip, desperate for the long-awaited friction of skin against skin. Breaking the kiss, he took a deep, gasping breath before Kyo was at his throat again, nibbling and licking a wet trail along his skin. For what seemed like the umpteenth time that evening, he threaded his fingers through the other man’s hair and tugged it sharply, earning a grunt from Kyo and getting an extra firm squeeze from the hand holding them both in retaliation.

~~

Kyo refocused his attention on Yuki’s neck, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along one side before latching onto a particularly sensitive spot and sucking hard. When he felt the slender man shudder against him and the fingers in his hair tightened he grinned against Yuki’s skin. His hand continued to work their erections with firm, ever quickening strokes. He set the pace by paying close attention to Yuki’s reactions, particularly how frantic the other’s hips snapped against his. The silver-haired man’s deep-throated moans were slowly driving him mad, but he held onto his control by his fingernails, wanting to make this good for Yuki.

When the other man’s hands roamed from his hair to stroking his chest and teasing his nipples, Kyo released the spot on Yuki’s neck he’d been sucking and used his free hand to grab the back of the other man’s head and pull him into another kiss. Both their breathing was frenetic at this point, and they kissed each other like they were going to war. Moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin filled the break room as they writhed against each other, their surroundings all but forgotten in the heat of the moment. It wasn’t long after that the last vestiges of control escaped Kyo, and he tightened his grip on both of their cocks, pace quick and almost brutal. Yuki was just as frenzied, hips thrusting against the ginger’s, his hands settling on Kyo’s hips and his nails digging into his skin carelessly.

With a groan, Kyo broke the kiss, his eyes snapping open as he looked into Yuki’s flushed face. The slender man’s grip tightened on him again, and he gasped out a garbled, “Kyo..I can’t..I’m going to…” before arching up, his whole body going taunt as he came, splattering both their stomachs and chests liberally with his release. Hissing, Kyo threw his head back and followed soon after, grip tightening as he milked the both of them of the remainder of their seed. Yuki collapsed against him, arms going around the ginger, his head dropping to rest on the other’s shoulder with a spent sigh. Kyo smiled slightly at that and let his eyes slide shut, releasing their slowly softening cocks and wrapping both arms around the smaller man and cradling him close, uncaring of the mess they’d made of each other.

He let his head fall back against the couch and with his non-sticky hand stroked Yuki’s back in slow, lazy circles, utterly content to hold him in silent companionship. Kyo idly wondered if it had stopped raining and decided he didn’t care in the slightest. It was a few minutes before the writer stirred at all, and when he did it was just to readjust to a slightly more comfortable position before placing a soft kiss to Kyo’s shoulder, his fingertips grazing the ginger’s spine slowly. It was Kyo who finally broke the silence, his voice pitched low and soft. “That was..incredible. I think you might be the death of me one day.” A laugh rumbled in Yuki’s chest and burst free of the slender man’s lips as his shoulders shook slightly in reaction while Kyo continued. “Mhmm, laugh it up, Tea Boy. I’ll make you pay for it later.” Orange eyes cut across to meet Yuki’s as the other man sat up slightly to look Kyo in the face.

~~

His eyebrows arching as he smiled warmly at the ginger, he traced Kyo’s eyebrows with his fingertips before leaning in and kissing him briefly. “Tea Boy, huh? Not very original, Kyo. You’ll have to get better at nicknames. But I agree. It felt amazing. We should probably get cleaned up soon, though.” Sliding out of the ginger’s lap, he stood and flushed slightly as Kyo stood up and told him to wait a minute, that he’d be right back. It wasn’t long before he was back with a couple of hand towels he’d dampened with warm water. Yuki accepted one and wiped off his chest and stomach, folding the towel once and blushing hotly again when he cleaned between his legs and his thighs. Somehow being naked in front of Kyo now that they weren’t mid-fooling around was embarrassing.

The ginger had cleaned himself off while Yuki was absorbed in his self-consciousness, and he took the soiled towel out of the writer’s limp hands and vanished again before reappearing with Yuki’s clothes that had been cycling through the dryer. Blinking slowly, he reached out and accepted them, his gaze dropping to his feet as he set them down on the couch and hurriedly slid into his underwear and tugged on his pants and socks while Kyo did the same. The taller man reached out and stopped him before he dressed any further, tugging Yuki into his arms and claiming his mouth in a gentle kiss. A moan escaped him, and he dropped his shirt, arms snaking back around Kyo, embarrassment forgotten with the feel of the other man’s mouth on his. _I could get used to this,_ he thought as the kiss ended, and he looked up at Kyo with a drowsy sort of smile.

The ginger laughed and slowly released Yuki before leaning down and picking up his shirt and offering it to him with a warm expression in his eyes. Flushing but happy, he took it and slid it on before combing his hands through his hair in a half-hearted attempt to get it to lie smoothly. “I enjoyed this. I wonder how long we’ve been back here.” Checking his phone, which he’d left on a small side table by the couch, he blinked when he saw that nearly two hours had passed. He looked back up at Kyo when the other man spoke, “It’s stopped raining so hard, by the way. It’s just a drizzle now.” Yuki nodded and chewed his lip in thought for a moment, considering before shrugging into his coat.

Holding out his hand, he beckoned to Kyo as he voiced his thoughts. “Give me your phone.” At the taller man’s confused look, he continued, “Your cell. Hand it over.” With a bemused expression, Kyo complied, pulling it out of his back pocket and putting it in Yuki’s outstretched hand before tugging on his own shirt and watching him curiously. Humming absently, Yuki tabbed to his contacts and put in his number, then called his own cell from it and saved Kyo’s number before handing it back. “There, now you don’t have to wait for me to show back up for tea.” He walked up to him and dragged him down by the shirt for another kiss. “I want to see you again. Soon.” Kyo nodded vigorously and kissed him one more time before they said their goodbyes. Yuki borrowed the umbrella Kyo pressed on him and slowly made his way to the bus stop through the rain. _What a day.._ he mused as he pondered what their next encounter might bring.


	5. Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo tells Tohru that he met someone, and she's thrilled to discover she knows the guy! Not only that, but she gives him a bit of dating advice that might just do the trick on bringing our boys closer than ever...

Kyo rubbed his temples, slowly counting backwards from ten in his head. He was exercising what was left of his frayed patience in order to prevent himself from yelling at his best friend. He’d just finished another closing shift at the cafe and had taken the opportunity to drop by to see how Tohru was doing only to find her up out of bed and making care packages for both the sick part timer from work and her friend Uotani, who had apparently also come down with the flu after visiting her. Gritting his teeth, he breathed out slowly through his nose and pointed at the couch, face red and a muscle twitching in his cheek. “You. Sit. Now.” Her eyes widened slightly, and she clasped the basket she’d been working on to her chest, nodding and scooting into the main living area to sink down onto the couch with a soft whoosh of impact against the plump cushions. Tohru tried to discreetly cough into the crook of her elbow, which only earned her another exasperated look from him.

Grabbing the other basket and the assortment of ribbons and other frippery she’d had spread out on the dining room table, he moved to join her, sitting in an armchair by the couch after he’d dumped his armload of crafting items onto the coffee table. “I _told_ you to take it easy, Tohru. You’re still sick. And instead I find you making gift baskets. Literal baskets.” He waggled the offending creation at her with a scowl as she protested weakly. “Oh, but Kyo-kun I’m feeling much better now, really! I’m sure I could even go back to work in a day or two!” She smiled brightly at him, but then the effect was spoiled by another round of coughing, followed by two sneezes in quick succession. He sighed and offered her the box of tissues from the coffee table, which she took gratefully and blew her nose. “Unbelievable..” He muttered as he picked up a spool of ribbon and started wrapping the handle as he’d seen her doing before he’d come in through the front door and caught her at it.

Blinking in surprise, she watched him with open curiosity, the question unspoken in her expression. He gave her a flat look and gestured with the ribbon. “You’re not going to go back to bed until these are finished. I know you. So if I help they’ll be done quicker, and you can go back to worrying about _your own health_.” That said, he went back to winding the ribbon around the handle, grabbing a pair of scissors from the coffee table and snipping the excess after tying a somewhat less impressive bow at the end than the one Tohru had finished on her own basket handle. “Now, what else do you want to do with these things?” She beamed at him happily before launching into how she was going to line the insides with felt before stuffing them full of get-well goodies like travel tissue packets, soup mixes, and other assorted things. Pulled into her enthusiasm against his will, he helped finish decorating the baskets and then went back and forth between the living room and the kitchen fetching the different things she wanted in the care packages.

Shaking his head as he plopped back down into his chair and stuffed the last round of things into the baskets, he looked across the coffee table at her as she continued their conversation amiably while fussing with some things in one of the baskets, rearranging them here and there idly as she talked. “So Kyo-kun how have things been for you lately? I know you’ve been working hard at the cafe, and I’m just so grateful. It’s such a big help, and you’re even here visiting me after!” He cut her off before she could build up steam for an even more vociferous thank-you session, determined to squash that before it got out of hand. “They’ve been fine. The first few days at the cafe were a bit hectic, but I’ve got the hang of everything now.” It had in fact been a week since that first dreadful shift and two days since he and Yuki had been caught inside by that afternoon thunderstorm.

Thinking back to that afternoon brought a slight flush to his cheeks which Tohru noted and latched onto with an excited gleam in her warm brown eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Kyo with anything resembling a dreamy look on his face, and she was determined to discover the cause. Trying rather unsuccessfully to appear casual, her hopeful tone gave her away as she asked, “Has anything interesting happened while I’ve been cooped up at home?” The ginger arched an eyebrow at her before rolling his eyes slightly and smiling fondly before giving in to her boundless enthusiasm. “As a matter of fact, yeah. I..sort of...met someone. At the cafe. He’s a regular, and we got to talking when it was slow the other day. Y’know, when it rained.” He cleared his throat a bit after mentioning the rain, and Tohru took the opportunity to shower him with questions. “Oh, Kyo-kun, that’s wonderful! He’s a regular? What does he look like? Maybe I know him! What’s he like? What did you talk about? Is he handsome? I bet he is. What does he do? Will you see each other again?”

She was practically vibrating with eagerness, and Kyo blinked at the onslaught of rapid-fire inquiry. “Calm down. You look like you’re about to take flight or somethin’. Jeez. Yeah, he said he comes in a lot for tea. He’s actually Momiji’s cousin or something. Small world, that. Oh, and he said that he hopes you feel better soon, by the way. He’s clever, and he knows it, too. But he was..patient with me when I sort of acted like a jackass a couple times. We talked about..our jobs, hobbies, y’know just...stuff.” The tips of his ears turned bright red as he stumbled over his last answer when he thought about what they’d gotten up to in the break room. Not that he’d _ever_ tell her about that. He’d go to his grave with that one. Awkwardly fumbling to cover up his embarrassment, he latched onto her last question. “He gave me his number!” Kyo blurted out then looked over at her before continuing, “I..haven’t called him yet, though. I don’t know what to say.”

Perking up at that, Tohru clasped her hands to her chest happily before smiling at him hugely and exclaiming, “Oh you must mean Yuki-kun! How nice of him to worry about me. I’ll have to remember to thank him next time I see him. He gave you his phone number? That’s so exciting! You haven’t been interested in someone in awhile, Kyo-kun. You should ask him out!” She bounced in place as she watched him, waiting to see what he thought. He blanched a bit when she suggested asking Yuki out. _Ask him out. Like..on a date? I’m crap at this stuff. Shit!_ Kyo absently ran his hands through his hair before meeting her gaze, his trepidation apparent in his expression. “Tohru...you know I suck at this, right? Remember Takahiro? Or Sora?” He winced at the memory of his last date with Sora. It had ended with the other man screaming at him for forgetting their two month “anniversary” and telling him to lose his number.

His best friend waved her hands at him dismissively. “That was in the past. I’m sure it will be better now. Besides, Yuki-kun is so nice! And he obviously likes you if he gave you his phone number. I know! What if you cook for him? You’ve gotten so good at it since you moved out on your own, and it would be more relaxing asking him to your house, right? Casual? That way you don’t have to be so nervous. It’s perfect!” She looked up at him eagerly, awaiting his response. Kyo froze, picturing Yuki in his house. He liked the idea. Almost too much. He stopped himself when he started thinking of where else having the writer over could lead and nodded slowly at Tohru. “That..could work. Dinner’s a standard date thing. I could do that. Yeah…” 

Chewing his lower lip thoughtfully, he idly started planning what he might make for the silver-haired man then shook his head slightly. He was getting ahead of himself. “Well, I’ll call him later. Right now I’m getting _you_ some dinner and sending you back to bed before you decide to deliver these things in person or something.” He gestured to the gift baskets for emphasis. “Which I’ll do, by the way, so don’t go getting any ideas.” Shooing her back into her bedroom, he made her something light and made sure she ate and was settled before leaving with the baskets under one arm. Shaking his head as he locked up and headed for the bus stop, he grumbled to himself for going along with playing delivery boy. All he wanted was a hot bath and sleep, and now he had two more stops to make before he could go home and collapse. _Drop off the things and go, that’s it._ Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long. 

~~

Yuki had been quite put out when he didn’t hear from Kyo for days after their heated encounter at the cafe. He’d almost sent him a scathing text that very afternoon but managed to stop himself from doing something he’d regret in a moment of pique. It turned out that this was quite fortunate because that very same evening he’d received a call from the very nervous ginger, who then invited him to his place for dinner that weekend. Of course he accepted, probably a bit too eagerly after two days of nothing, but when he heard the weariness in Kyo’s voice as they chatted for a while after he’d confirmed the time and place, Yuki softened toward the other man. It was obvious that pulling what amounted to double shifts was getting to him, what with helping at the dojo in the mornings and then closing at the cafe in the evenings. He smiled when Kyo relayed his visit to Tohru and the gift basket incident, as he put it. It was just like her to be so considerate of others while completely disregarding her own circumstances.

Thinking of her being ill caused his smile to fade, concern replacing the amusement on his face as he chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. He hoped Kyo didn’t come down with the flu with how he was visiting her on top of being run ragged with both jobs. When was his useless cousin coming back again? He searched his memory, trying to recall Momiji’s tour schedule. Shaking his head when it failed to come to him, he returned his full attention to Kyo when he said something about food allergies. Assuring the ginger he had none and wasn’t especially picky, he murmured into the phone that the other man should take care of himself before they said their goodbyes and hung up. Tossing his phone onto his desk, he flopped onto his bed and rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. _He’s cooking me dinner. At his house. I must have hit some sort of karmic jackpot or something. God, don’t let me screw this up…_

So it was that the weekend rolled around and Yuki found himself on the outskirts of town in front of a quaint little house that somehow seemed to suit Kyo just from its location alone. Knocking on the door, he heard some banging, followed by a muffled, “Coming!” before the door opened, and Kyo greeted him a bit breathlessly, stepping aside and gesturing for him to make his way inside. The ginger swallowed and cleared his throat as he spoke, “Hey, did you find the place okay? I know it’s a bit farther out than most. Uh..here, gimme your coat.” He reached out and took it as Yuki slid his arms out of the sleeves and hung it on a peg on the wall by the door. Sliding out of his shoes, he stepped into the living room proper in sock feet, looking around curiously as he responded. “Yes, I didn’t have any trouble. It’s fine. Oh, thank you. It must be quiet out here. I considered living farther out myself at one point, but I’d probably starve without convenience stores and take-out.”

Yuki favored the ginger with a self-deprecating smile and shrugged. “To be honest, I was kind of glad when you said you cooked. I set my kitchen on fire once, so..I’m afraid I can’t return the favor. I’ll take you out next time, though.” Kyo’s eyebrows nearly shot into his hairline when the writer told him he’d practically burned down his own kitchen. Hiding his smile behind a hand, he gestured into the room. “So keep you away from anything flammable, huh? Good to know. If you wanna sit for a bit it’s almost ready. I made yakisoba. I hope that’s okay. I mean, it’s not fancy or nothin’…” Trailing off uncertainly, the taller man shuffled from foot to foot before glancing over at Yuki again. Catching Kyo’s gaze, he closed the distance between them and smiled up at him with a slow upward curving of lips that left the ginger momentarily riveted by his mouth. “I love yakisoba. It’s perfect. Can I keep you company while you finish up? I won’t try to help, I promise.” Smile turning mischievous as he reassured the other man, he was pleased when Kyo told him he could follow him into the kitchen.

Drifting after him, he folded his arms and leaned a hip against the door frame as he watched the redhead move around the kitchen stirring things and getting plates and utensils and whatnot. He took the opportunity to just enjoy looking at Kyo as they chatted about their respective weeks and other harmless topics. When the other man had finished everything and all they had to do was serve themselves, he turned toward Yuki and asked him what he wanted to drink after rattling off a list of what was available. Playing it safe, he said water was fine and when Kyo nodded, he grabbed two from the fridge as he was asked while the other served up two helpings of the yakisoba and led him into the dining room. Yuki sank down onto one of the cushions at the low table and made himself comfortable across from Kyo. After a quickly mumbled thanks for the food, the ginger took a huge bite and chewed while shooting the silver-haired man furtive looks as Yuki took his first bite.

Eyes widening slightly, he swallowed and snagged Kyo’s gaze before nodding enthusiastically, “It’s delicious, so stop looking at me like you think I’m going to kick your kitten or something.” So saying, he tucked in and proceeded to put an impressive dent in his own serving. His reassurance soothing Kyo’s nervousness, the ginger stopped over-stuffing his mouth and relaxed, sipping his water between bites and watching the smaller man with pure enjoyment now. When both of them had finished their first helping, Yuki asked if he could have more, earning a pleased grin from Kyo as the redhead got up and went and got them both another serving before rejoining him. They took their time with their second plates, conversing leisurely between bites about their families, how they grew up, and things like that. When Yuki earned a belly laugh from the other man with a story about his cousin and close friend Haru proving his natural hair color to a pushy student council member by dragging the man off to a bathroom and coming back with him smug and the other boy traumatized he warmed inside with a feeling he couldn’t quite name.

Eyes dancing with lingering amusement, Kyo picked up his glass and took a sip of water. Swallowing as he met Yuki’s gaze he grinned at him and nodded slightly as he picked up the thread of the conversation. “You know, I vaguely remember something about a Hatsuharu at the main house one New Years growing up. He’s younger than us, right? Like a year or so. I was never invited to the exclusive banquet part. That was for the ‘in crowd’, I guess, so I only heard stuff secondhand from Shishou; that’s my dad.” He shrugged, not seeming terribly concerned about being left out even though Yuki frowned when Kyo recounted that part. Catching his expression, the ginger waved a hand dismissively at him. “Really Yuki, don’t worry about it. It’s fine. I met the head of the family once. Dude seemed like he had a giant stick up his ass. Looked at me like I was dirt or somethin’, but Shishou stuck up for me. He’s great like that. Nothin’ like my sperm donor.” He snorted and shook it off before flashing another smile at the slender man across from him. “I’m lucky. I didn’t have to hang out with a jerk, and my _real_ family always let me know I was wanted. I mean, he picked me. He coulda adopted any kid, and he chose me. That’s cool, ya know?”

Yuki looked up, startled at Kyo’s response to his frown. He was very quiet as the ginger continued to reassure him that he hadn’t felt left out at the old New Years banquets. When he got to the part about his adoptive father the silver-haired man stilled, sadness stealing over his face and perhaps even a touch of envy that he quickly squashed down. When he responded, his voice was soft, something somber leaking into his tone. “You weren’t missing much. My parents always toadied up to the head. A..Akito… she came out as a woman the year we graduated high school. Her mother apparently demanded she be raised as a boy for some backwards reason. Anyway, she..she’s not nice. Your father sounds wonderful. I...well, you’re right. You are lucky.” He smiled weakly at the other man as he uttered the last bit before looking away and taking another bite of yakisoba to divert attention from the mood taking a downward turn. Chewing slowly, he swallowed and then took a huge gulp of water, fiddling with his glass absently. “So..how old were you when you started doing martial arts?” He made a desperate attempt to change the subject, hoping to make up for the momentary gloom brought on by thinking about his parents.

Watching the writer closely as he talked, Kyo’s expression darkened in concern when he heard the catch in Yuki’s voice as he brought up his family, even going so far as to frown fiercely when the smaller man stuttered over Akito’s name. He debated with himself for a minute about letting the subject go, but he couldn’t bring himself to ignore the pain in the other man’s face. When he answered his expression was searching, his tone gentle. “I was young, like 5 or 6 maybe. It was when Shishou took me in, but can we circle back a minute? Yuki..are you okay?” When the writer looked up at him, face flushed with embarrassment, he gave up all pretense of interest in the rest of his food and got up, circling around the table and sinking onto a cushion beside him. Reaching out, he cupped Yuki’s face in his hands, thumbs brushing along his cheekbones lightly. It was odd. Usually Kyo was brash and rough around the edges, but something about the slender man beside him made him want to take care of him. “Talk to me. What’s goin’ on?”

It was the tenderness in his touch that undid Yuki, and before he really knew it he was responding, his eyes sliding shut in an effort to stem tears he hadn’t let himself shed in ages. “I..my parents aren’t like your dad. I’m the great disappointment. They were mad when I switched majors in college, but then when I came out to them last year..well, we haven’t spoken since if that tells you anything.” He laughed bitterly, and it was a jagged sound ripping from his throat before his voice caught on a sob instead. Feeling Kyo’s arms wrap around him and gather him close, he melted into his embrace and buried his face in the ginger’s shoulder. Strong hands stroked his back, kneading in slow, methodical circles. He hugged the other man tightly, tears finally escaping him and sliding slowly down his face. There was just something about Kyo that made him feel..safe, so Yuki let go of the tight rein he always kept on his emotions and just cried.

Kyo let a frustrated growl escape him and squeezed the smaller man reassuringly. It was hard enough being different in their society, but for Yuki’s parents to have rejected him for being gay made it just that much worse. He wanted to beat them to a pulp for making the man in his arms hurt like this. He just kept stroking his back and pressed a soft kiss to Yuki’s temple before murmuring into his hair, “It’s their loss, Yuki. You’re amazing. You know that? I thought that the first time I saw you. Why do you think I was so mortified at how stupid I acted? I didn’t think I stood a chance with you. They don’t deserve you if they can’t see that you’re perfect just the way you are.” He let out a long breath through his nose and nuzzled the writer’s hair as he rocked him a bit, desperately wishing there was more he could do. _How’d you get inside me this fast? I really am losing it. The scary part is I don’t think I want it to stop…_ His thoughts were interrupted when Yuki shifted against him, lifting his head, eyes searching Kyo’s for a wordless moment before his mouth found his, kissing him hard.

His breath left him in a rush, and Kyo’s grip on the smaller man tightened reflexively as he kissed him back, tongue delving into his mouth to plunder deeply. Yuki made a small, frantic noise in the back of his throat and tangled his hands in the ginger’s hair, tugging him closer as if he could climb inside him and merge into one being. They clung to each other like that, kissing with a need that bordered on desperation. After who knew how long, Kyo came up for air and feathered kisses along Yuki’s jaw and down his throat before pulling him close again and retaining enough sanity to call a time-out, his voice rough with suppressed desire. “I’m startin’ to think I’m a bad date. The first time we met I was a grumpy jerk, the second time I dumped water on you, and now I made you cry. Are we 0 for 3 here?” He smoothed Yuki’s hair back off of his face, tucking his bangs behind his ears gently as he looked down into his eyes.

Huffing a watery laugh, the writer shook his head slightly before meeting Kyo’s gaze, his fingers still combing through the ginger’s unruly hair also. “You..no, you hit it out the park. You’re batting a thousand. Or whatever. Insert clever sports analogy here. The first time doesn’t count, and the second time I rather enjoyed myself. Didn’t you?” He gave him an arch smile before kissing him softly. Pulling back after, he continued when Kyo blushed hotly and mumbled an affirmative. “That’s what I thought.” His voice softened now. “And you didn’t make me cry, Kyo. You _let_ me cry. Thank you for that and for what you said. You are, too. Perfect. Temper and all.” He slid his arms around the other man and rested his head on his shoulder again. “Can we stay like this for a little while?”

Kyo tipped Yuki’s face up, one hand gripping his chin gently, and kissed him at that, just a soft press of lips against his before drawing back and tracing his eyebrows with his free hand. “Yeah, as long as you want.” Then wrapping the smaller man in a snug embrace, he settled back and rested his cheek on top of Yuki’s head. He felt the writer sigh contentedly and relax fully against him. No one had ever felt this right in his arms before. Analyzing things too deeply always unnerved Kyo, so he tried to quiet his mind and just live in the moment. And to his surprise found it remarkably easy to do just then. Eyes sliding shut, he breathed deeply and stroked Yuki’s back and soaked in the peace of being with him. Some time later, he opened his eyes and shifted slightly, wincing when he felt pins and needles starting where his legs had fallen asleep. “Sorry,” he murmured when the silver-haired man made a protesting noise. “My legs are numb.”

Smiling, Yuki straightened and looked up into warm orange eyes that stared back at him as he stretched, arching his back a bit. “Mm..my fault. Here, let me help.” Reaching over, he started massaging Kyo’s calves, fingers kneading the firm muscles before sliding higher and working on his thighs. The ginger groaned a little and stretched out, eyes sliding shut as Yuki worked the feeling back into his limbs. He spoke, voice both husky and a bit drowsy at once, “If you keep doing that I’m going to lay down right here and not get back up.” Laughing at that, Yuki shook his head and stopped what he’d been doing, one hand tugging a lock of hair hanging across Kyo’s forehead affectionately. “We can’t have that. You’ll catch a cold for sure. Come on, up you go. I’ll help you clean the kitchen.” He made a face at the ginger when he got a skeptical look in response. “Don’t look at me like that. I can do dishes, at least!” The taller man chuckled at him and stood, gathering up the plates and utensils while Yuki grabbed the glasses and followed him back into the kitchen. 

Kyo put away the leftovers, packing some into a separate tupperware for Yuki to take home with an insolent grin as Yuki swiped at him with a dish towel when he made a comment about ‘needing to feed you so you don’t starve’. The two washed and dried the dishes after in companionable silence, occasionally stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking. Yuki was just setting the last glass back into the cabinet Kyo had gestured to when he felt the taller man come up behind him and slide his arms around him from behind. Smiling softly, he leaned back into the embrace, turning his head back to look at Kyo just as the ginger bent his own head down and captured Yuki’s mouth in a slow, lingering kiss. As the taller man pulled back from the kiss, Yuki murmured softly, “I could get used to this.” It eerily mirrored Kyo’s thoughts in that exact moment, causing him to pause midway in the motion of pulling his head back. “So could I..” He whispered back, a mere breath of sound as Yuki turned around in his arms to face him and slid his arms around Kyo’s neck.

And then they were kissing again, Kyo backing Yuki up against the counter and boxing him in, their bodies flush against each other’s, completely lost in the moment. Soft moans punctuated the pauses for breath between kisses, and when they finally broke apart some time later, each was breathing hard and looking up at the other. Kyo was the first to break the silence, reaching for Yuki and bringing him back into the circle of his arms, his movements this time less frenetic, instead replaced with the tenderness from before. “I’m gonna have to thank Tohru later. She’s the one who suggested I cook for you, ya know. Tonight has been..really great.” The writer smiled then, a slow upward curving of lips that made Kyo lose focus for a minute and stare at his mouth until Yuki started speaking. “I’m glad she did. Dinner was delicious, and I liked getting to see your place. It’s nice out here, and it’s very..you.” His eyes sparkled a bit when he said it, gently teasing. The ginger narrowed his eyes at him before breaking into an answering grin and shaking his head slightly. A yawn escaped him suddenly, and he covered his mouth, the tips of his ears turning pink as he apologized.

Stroking Kyo’s hair gently, Yuki shook his head against the murmured sorry, “No, it’s getting late, and you’ve taken on so much. It’s no wonder you’re tired. I should head out. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” The ginger leaned into him, brushing soft kisses against his lips, his cheeks, down to the pulse in his neck, which jumped up a bit in response, earning a smug grin from Kyo before he pulled back again to look down at the slender man in his arms. “I’ll look forward to it. Text me when you get home, though, okay? I just want to know you made it back alright.” Yuki smiled up at him and pulled him down for one last kiss, deepening it and drawing a soft groan from the ginger before he let him up for air. “I will, but only because you asked nicely, worrywart.” Kyo gave him an arch look before walking him to the door and seeing him out, lingering in the doorway for longer than was strictly necessary. Finally when the silver-haired man was out of sight, he closed the door and stumbled toward his room and bed, a lazy smile on his face as he thought about what he might invite Yuki out to do next time. _It’d be great to take him out hiking. We could have a picnic..lay out a blanket…_ He fell asleep as he was imagining the smaller man spread out on said blanket beneath him, and the image followed him into his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks go out to Mr. Grass and SharkFairy77 for a brainstorming session that helped shape this chapter. I had so much fun writing it, and I hope you all enjoy it, too. Thanks for sticking with me!


	6. Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Yuki's turn to treat Kyo, and the ginger is out of his element at a fancy restaurant in the city. How will things turn out this time?

Yuki was sprawled on his stomach on his bed, feet swinging back and forth as he clutched his cell phone to his ear and grumbled into it at his best friend. “No, for the last time I am not bringing him to game night. Not yet. He’s not ready for us in all of our nerd glory. Especially not _you_.” The voice that emerged from the other end of the line positively vibrated with affronted dignity, “Yuki, you wound me. To my very core. I care very deeply for your well-being, and how am I supposed to make sure this guy’s on the up and up unless you let me meet him?” The silver-haired man rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and contemplated hanging up but quickly discarded the idea as flawed. It would only result in Kakeru blowing up his phone, or worse, inviting himself over, and he simply didn’t have the energy to spare for dealing with either possibility this evening. He’d spent the majority of the day bent over his desk and squinting at a computer screen, and after finishing an article for an online zine who’d hired him to do a piece and putting in a few hours on his blog he was exhausted. His attention snapped back to the conversation when Kakeru said something about staking out the coffee shop. “I. will. _kill you_. Slowly.”

A nervous laugh from the boisterous man who’d firmly latched onto Yuki in high school and had eventually won his place as his best friend through sheer determination and verve sounded in Yuki’s ears, followed by a quick assertion that he’d been joking. Mostly. Massaging the bridge of his nose with his free hand, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes before responding, “You’ll meet him eventually, I promise. Just..let me ease him into things. We’re still getting used to each other, let alone each other’s friend groups. I’m just..nervous about tomorrow. Our last date was pretty low key, but it was..kind of perfect, actually. He had me over to his house. He **cooked** for me for god’s sake. I can’t match that. I burned rice, Kakeru. Rice. In a rice cooker. I don’t know what happened.” Running his hand through his hair, he tugged on it in frustration and breathed out slowly as the other man assured him that everything would be fine. He could practically feel the warmth in his friend’s tone through the phone, “Yun, relax. He obviously likes you, and I mean, who wouldn’t? Besides your culinary difficulties you’re wonderful, and I should know. I have excellent taste. Look, just go, be your usual charming, slightly acerbic self, and knock his socks off. What’s to worry about?”

Shaking his head with a look that was half exasperated, half affectionate, Yuki’s shoulders dropped as he buried his face in his mattress and groaned. “Maybe it’s not too late to cancel. I mean, I don’t think he’s the fancy dinner sort of person, anyway. It’ll be better this way. I’ll just die alone. It’s fine.” His voice was slightly muffled since his mouth was currently smooshed against his comforter and not right up to the receiver, and Kakeru had to puzzle out a few of the words. There was a definite squawk of alarm at the comment about dying alone, and a burst of hurried questioning. Shooting straight up, Yuki answered in a strident tone, his eyes huge and full of instant regret, “No! Don’t come over! I didn’t mean it! I won’t cancel. Kakeru. Kakeru, I’m fine. No, seriously..” And after fifteen minutes of furious back and forth exchange, he finally managed to convince his friend that he was indeed not calling to cancel his dinner date with Kyo and would definitely call Kakeru tomorrow and tell him how it went. After a few more minutes of idle chatting they hung up and Yuki collapsed back down onto the mattress in a huff. _I am a colossal idiot. I should’ve known that would set off the concern police. God, I’m so tired. I hope tomorrow isn’t a complete disaster…_ These were his final thoughts as he drifted into a fitful sleep, his dreams full of flaming kitchen appliances and Kakeru in an apron shaking his head at him sadly as Kyo fled into the distance.

~~

Kyo looked up at the sign above the entrance to the restaurant with an apprehensive expression. Plucking at the hem of his suit jacket nervously, he took a deep breath before making his way inside. He’d been unsure of himself ever since Yuki had revealed where he planned on treating Kyo to dinner for their next date. True, the writer had given him ample warning about dressing up and whatnot, but it hadn’t made the ginger feel any more confident about eating out at such a posh place. He’d never been comfortable in situations like this. He wasn’t good at adhering to the stuffy mannerisms places like these required, and he hated dressing up. It always made him feel stupid and like he didn’t belong there with the more “civilized people”. Biting back a sigh, he checked in with the maître d' since Yuki had texted him ahead of time to let him know he was already there and had reserved them a table. As he was shown into the dining room, he glanced slowly around the room, his unease mounting as he noted the richness of the setting, both the interior design and the other patrons in their evening finery.When he located Yuki at a table for two on the left side of the room he let out a slow breath and started to make his way toward him. 

The other man chose that exact moment to look up and meet Kyo’s warm orange gaze with his own glimmering silver one, a small smile gracing his delicate features as Kyo moved toward him across the room. The ginger took the opportunity to admire the way the tailored white suit jacket, vest, and pants hugged Yuki’s lithe figure. He noted how the pale blue of his dress shirt complimented his porcelain skin, and Kyo couldn’t even snicker at the crisp white bow-tie because damn could Yuki pull it off and somehow still look so classy. The thought made the smile that had unknowingly formed on his lips at his initial sight of the writer slip from his face as he considered his own appearance. His own jacket, pants, and even the tie were black, the shirt a conservative white. They didn’t flatter him quite the way Yuki’s clothes seemed to do the smaller man, at least in Kyo’s opinion. If the way the writer was looking at him was any indication, however, then Yuki definitely would have disagreed with the sentiment. The tips of his ears turning red, Kyo dropped his gaze as Yuki stood and took his hands, smiling up at him softly before squeezing gently and letting go to resume his seat as Kyo took his own chair across from him.

Swallowing and smoothing his hands nervously down his thighs, Kyo glanced up again as Yuki spoke, “Hi, you look fantastic. Thanks for agreeing to this. I know it’s not usually your thing, but I really thought you’d enjoy the food. It’s amazing here, and since I can’t cook for you I thought it’d be the next best thing.” He gave the writer a half-hearted smile in return, his eyes flicking about the room as Yuki gestured for emphasis before settling back on the other man. His response was stilted, his usual brashness toned down. “Hey. Oh..thanks. I, uh..yeah, it’s not really my scene, but fair’s fair. It was your turn to pick. Um...you look great, too.” Picking up the menu, he looked over it slowly, his eyes widening at the prices. Glancing over to see that Yuki looked entirely unruffled as he perused his own menu, he bit his lip and stifled the urge to make a comment. The waiter chose that moment to arrive and ask for their drink orders. Before he could open his mouth, Yuki favored the man with a charming smile and asked for a fairly nice vintage of red wine, indicating that he’d like a bottle for them to share after a brief glance and slightly raised eyebrows toward Kyo asking if it was alright first.

Stymied, he tensed his shoulders but gave a brief nod of assent, not wanting to appear difficult or ungrateful. He didn’t usually drink much but figured that if he paced himself a glass or two wouldn’t hurt. When the waiter turned to him, he ordered water, intending to switch to that after having only enough of the wine to be polite. Their drink orders made, the waiter left to fetch them and give them time to decide on their entrees. Yuki looked up at Kyo, his brows creasing slightly in concern when he noted how stiffly the ginger was holding himself, and he tried to ease things a bit by offering some suggestions on his favorite dishes. After a brief back and forth, Kyo told Yuki to order for him. “No, it’s fine. Really. Surprise me.” And so saying, he closed his menu and sat it down on the table, fingers running along the binding in an unconscious show of nerves that belied his assurances things were alright. When the waiter came back with their drinks Yuki took the lead, smoothly ordering for both of them, a porterhouse steak for Kyo and the braised duck for himself. Thanking the waiter, Yuki handed the man the menus and returned his attention to Kyo as they were left alone again. 

The silver-haired man picked up his glass, swirling the liquid gently before taking a sip, and Kyo watched fixedly as Yuki’s throat worked, swallowing the mouthful. It was an exercise in control to jerk his gaze back up to the writer’s face and dredge his mind out of the gutter before taking a stab at making conversation. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Momiji made it back into town this week. Of course he made a huge deal about ‘his poor sweet angel’ being under the weather without him here to take care of her, like I’ve been doing nothing of the kind all week. Oh, she’s doing a lot better, too. Should be good to go back to work on Monday.” He fidgeted with the stem of his own glass before picking it up and sipping the wine tentatively. Blinking in mild surprise, he looked down at it before looking back up at Yuki. “Huh. This is pretty good. I don’t know much about wine, though.” Smiling, the writer shrugged and responded, “He called me when he got back, actually. Tohru-san told him we’d met, and he wanted to catch up. I’m glad she’s feeling better. Are you relieved to hand the cafe back over?” A muscle in Kyo’s cheek twitched when Yuki told him Tohru’d spilled the the beans to Momiji. He wasn’t mad at her, exactly, but Momiji could be obnoxious when it came to picking at Kyo about his love life. They’d have to have another talk about boundaries.

Taking a gulp of the wine, he tried to smooth his features and pick up the thread of the conversation. “Yeah, I can’t say I’ll be sorry to go back to the dojo full time. It’s more my speed. Not that I, uh..regret the experience. We’re here now, after all.” His gaze caught Yuki’s then, and there was a bit of heat in his eyes, which the writer noticed with a blush and a stammered reply. “You..we...right. We might not have met otherwise, and..yes.” Yuki fiddled with his napkin before changing the subject to something that wouldn’t remind him of that evening in the break room, and they chatted lightly back and forth until their food arrived. Kyo zeroed in on the steak with the intensity of the devoted, and the next few minutes were full of nothing but the clinking of cutlery as they both sampled their meals. He had to consciously stop himself from moaning at the first few bites. This alone was worth dressing up in a stupid suit and worrying about other people’s judgmental stares. His pure pleasure at the food, not to mention the first glass of wine, were both working to ease his nerves. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all…

~~

Yuki took his time with his own meal as well, savoring the flavors and taking the occasional sip of his wine. He had not quite yet finished his own first glass when he saw Kyo pouring himself a second. His eyebrows arched in mild surprise, as he hadn’t taken the ginger for much of a drinker, but he refrained from commenting. Kyo was an adult, after all, and he had gotten the bottle for them to share. Setting down his utensils, Yuki sat back a moment and just watched the other man, noting the way he relished the steak and slowly seemed to be relaxing. He took in the way Kyo’s fingers moved on the stem of his wine glass and how his lips quirked up at the corners as he caught Yuki staring and grinned in a slow, knowing way that had nothing to do with where they were and everything to do with the man across from him in that moment. They stayed that way, eyes locked for what seemed like an eternity and equally no time at all until Yuki cleared his throat and looked away. “So, how is it? Your meal? The duck is excellent, but I thought you might like something with a bit more..uh..” The realization that what he’d be about to say would sound blatantly suggestive made him lose his words, and he panicked further when he thought that trailing off might be just as bad.

He froze when he heard Kyo snort a bit, then looked up just in time to see him throw back his head and laugh, full throated and just..warm. _That’s what he is_ , Yuki thought in that moment. _He’s so..warm. I just want to wrap myself up in him and never let go._ Caught up in the ginger’s amusement he found himself laughing, too. They both looked at each other as they came down from that high of endorphins and the ease of being with a person who gets you without really trying. After that the words came more easily, and they chatted back and forth about whatever struck their fancy while they ate. Yuki felt..loose and lighter than he had in years, and it came out in little ways throughout the meal. He’d reach out to touch Kyo’s hand as he made a point or smile at him like they were the only two people in the room, and after a while it started to feel like they were. Or at least the only two that mattered. Kyo was doing the same, touching him in little ways, glancing at him now and then with a look in his eyes that made Yuki catch his breath.

He was so absorbed in Kyo’s company that it was almost like ice down his back when he noticed the first sideways glances from some of the other diners. Not many, but there were a few. Once when he laughed at something Kyo said, and then again a few minutes later when Kyo ran his fingers along the inside of Yuki’s wrist and let them linger there, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The ginger was a bit slower to pick up on the subtle shift in the mood, but he saw the smile slide from Yuki’s face, the way his expression gradually started to close up as his focus flitted between Kyo and those around them. Kyo frowned and reached across the table, taking one of Yuki’s hands in his. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Flushing, Yuki’s fingers tensed in Kyo’s grip, and his gaze darted to one of the couples who’d been shooting them glances. Now was no exception, and Kyo followed his gaze in time to catch the disgusted expression on the woman’s face as she muttered something to her companion. Yuki paled as he saw Kyo’s face flush with anger, and his grip tightened on the hand that Kyo still held as he urgently whispered, “Kyo, don’t—” but the ginger was already pulling his hand back and whirling toward the couple in question, his eyes narrowing as he stood.

~~

Kyo squared his shoulders and glared at the people who’d been shooting them dirty looks, his tone aggressive as he addressed them directly. “Hey! You got a problem?” They both sort of scrunched down in their chairs and avoided eye contact, and several other diners in the vicinity started looking over at the disturbance. Yuki came half out of his chair as he moved to clutch Kyo’s forearm and murmur to him urgently, his voice strained, “Kyo, please..people are staring. I..please let it go.” The ginger set his jaw and breathed out loudly through his nose, his glare still fixed firmly to the woman who’d looked at them with distaste for another long minute before he slowly sat back down in his chair and looked down at his plate, his expression stony. He didn’t look at Yuki or respond to what he’d said. The writer flinched and let go of his arm. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Yuki flagged down their waiter and asked for boxes and the check. Meanwhile, Kyo was still fuming internally at the couple across from them and the gawkers who’d looked on at their exchange. He was even a bit angry at Yuki for asking him to leave it be. They should be able to go out and do the same things other couples did without people being assholes.

The waiter brought the check and assisted in boxing up their leftovers before vanishing with the card Yuki had hastily shoved into the bill folder and returning moments later with it and wishing them a pleasant evening. Kyo snorted and stood up, shoving his chair back under the table roughly before stalking toward the exit wordlessly. Yuki grabbed the bag the remnants of their meal was in and hurried after him, face flushed and eyes lowered in mortification. Once outside, Kyo kept walking, prompting Yuki to pick up his pace to catch up to him. The smaller man called after him, a bit breathlessly, “Kyo, wait! Kyo!” He slowed to a halt, waiting for Yuki to catch up to him, but he still didn’t look in the other’s direction. Yuki swallowed audibly and reached out with his free hand, thinking to touch the ginger’s arm, and when Kyo stiffened at the gesture he stopped halfway, his face crumpling with hurt. Choosing that moment to look over, Kyo’s breath caught in his throat at the look on Yuki’s face, and his anger fizzled out, shame washing over him in a rush in its wake. Before he could even think about it he’d taken a step towards Yuki, then another.

Closing the distance between them, he reached out and cupped Yuki’s face in his hands, regret etched on his features as he choked out an apology. “I’m sorry, Yuki. I didn’t mean..oh god. Please don’t look at me like that. Please. I fucked up. I always do this. I’m such an idiot.” His eyes slid shut as his neck bent, his forehead pressing gently against the shorter man’s. Kyo took a few quick breaths, and when Yuki didn’t immediately pull away he kept talking, voice low and heavy with emotion. “I shouldn’t have made a scene. I just..hate it when people do that. We..we were having a nice night, and that woman..but you’re right. I embarrassed you and made things worse. I’m sorry.” After a moment he felt Yuki threading his fingers through his hair, and the writer murmured a soft reply. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Kyo. I’m just..not good at confrontations. They were the ones behaving badly. You just wanted to defend us, and that’s fair. I’m sorry that I didn’t back you up. I just..” Yuki trailed off, struggling to find the right words, but Kyo made further discussion unnecessary when he tilted his head down and claimed the writer’s mouth in a soft kiss.

Pulling his head back slowly, he met Yuki’s gaze as he ran his thumbs gently over his cheekbones. They just stood there like that for a few moments, Kyo cradling Yuki’s face and Yuki stroking his hair and watching him with a serious expression. It was finally Yuki who broke the silence. “Come back to my place. We can reheat this stuff and relax a little. I..I don’t want to say goodbye to you yet.” Kyo watched as the blush spread across Yuki’s face, but the slender man didn’t look away. He grinned slowly, and there was a bit of smugness to it when he replied, “Neither do I. Lead the way.” They disentangled from each other, but Kyo snagged Yuki’s free hand and laced his fingers through the other man’s as they walked. A very small part of him felt childish at the gesture, but he told that part to shut the hell up and didn’t let go the entire way to Yuki’s place. He did have to, however, when they got there so that Yuki could unlock the front door. Kyo took the bag with their leftovers from him and followed him inside, shucking off his shoes gratefully and leaving them in the entryway.

Glancing around idly, he noted that Yuki’s place was furnished in the Western style, everything sleek, with modern lines. Eyebrows arching slightly, he looked over to the smaller man as he stepped further into the room after locking the door and removing his own shoes. He shed his suit jacket and hung it on Yuki’s coat rack. The man had a frigging _coat rack_. “Nice place. Where’s your kitchen?” Yuki blinked, looked around, then back to Kyo before pointing him in the right direction. “Here, I’ll show you. If you give me that I’ll just reh—” Kyo hid the bag behind his back and gave Yuki an amused look as he started following him to the kitchen, not even bothering to let him finish that sentence before he interrupted. “Not a chance in hell. You’d ruin it or melt something, and I wouldn’t get to finish my steak. Just tell me where everything is, and I’ll do it.” The writer scowled and opened his mouth to protest, considered for a moment, then closed his mouth again and complied instead. It wasn’t like Kyo was wrong, after all.

And that was how Kyo found himself moving about Yuki’s kitchen, disdaining the microwave in favor of reheating everything on the stove or in the oven as was best for them to retain their original textures and flavors. He let Yuki uncork the wine and pour himself a glass, while Kyo decided on water instead. That was the only thing he trusted him with after some of the stories he’d heard. Once everything was plated, he joined the slender man in the dining room, sinking into a chair and tugging at the knot of his tie to loosen it before yanking it off and hanging it on the back of his chair and undoing the top couple buttons of his shirt. Sighing in pleasure, he picked up his glass and tilted it toward Yuki with an impudent grin and took a gulp before setting it aside in favor of his food. The writer dug into his own leftovers, and the mood slowly started to shift back towards the comfort level they’d shared before the whole unpleasant fiasco at the restaurant had occurred. As they ate they swapped stories, keeping things light, avoiding topics that were more fraught for the time being.

When there wasn’t a scrap of food left on either of their plates they cleaned up and moved into the living room instead. Yuki was nursing his third glass of the evening and was feeling decidedly tipsy. Kyo however had stopped at one; well, one and the few sips he’d taken of the second at the restaurant before he’d lost his temper and caused their early exit and was decidedly the more sober of the two of them. Sinking onto Yuki’s couch, he sighed and ran his hands through his hair before looking up and the silver-haired man still standing nearby. He watched Yuki set his glass on a coaster and finally shed his suit jacket and casually toss it over the back of an arm chair before reaching up to untie his bow-tie. Kyo made a negatory noise low in his throat, and Yuki paused, gaze flicking to Kyo as he arched an eyebrow questioningly. The ginger crooked a finger at him, and now thoroughly amused and a bit nonplussed, Yuki crossed the room obediently and came to a halt in front of the taller man.

Kyo hooked an arm around Yuki’s waist and pulled, catching the smaller man neatly as he overbalanced and settled him in his lap with a pleased grin. Yuki set his hands on Kyo’s shoulders, lips quirked up at the corners in a way that suggested he was fighting back a laugh. “Well, you’ve got me where you want me. What now?” The ginger wasted no time in cupping the back of Yuki’s head with one hand and dragging him into a heated kiss. The writer moaned into Kyo’s mouth and clutched his shirt in both hands as he sank against him and kissed him back deeply. Kyo’s fingers worked at the knot of Yuki’s bow-tie, and he slowly undid it and tugged it loose. Breaking the kiss, he drew his head back and smirked as he met Yuki’s slightly dazed eyes and unhurriedly slid the silky piece of cloth out from under the other man’s collar and tossed it behind him, uncaring of where it fell. His voice was husky as he slid his fingers along the edges of Yuki’s vest and watched him with eyes gone hot with need. “I’d settle for kissing you senseless for a bit. Sound good?”

~~

Yuki’s eyes widened slightly, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he met Kyo’s gaze and took a few deep breaths before nodding and reaching up to undo the top three buttons on his shirt as the ginger made short work of the buttons of his vest and shoved the thing off his shoulders entirely. His reply was breathy and threaded with desire of his own, “Better than good. I’ve wanted you to touch me all night.” Kyo yanked him close with a growl and reclaimed his mouth, kissing him like he’d devour him from the mouth down. Thus proceeded a heated make-out session that involved roaming hands and not a little bit of grinding against each other. An indeterminate amount of time later, Kyo had rolled them both so that Yuki was underneath him, the silver-haired man flat on his back and several more buttons on his shirt undone. Kyo’s own shirt was gone entirely, and Yuki had hooked one leg over Kyo’s, his fingers buried in the ginger’s hair. When Kyo pulled back from the kiss with a gasp, he slowly shook his head to clear it, and he looked down to take in Yuki’s flushed face and disheveled hair. Kyo thought he was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

When the taller man moved to sit up Yuki made a low noise of protest in the back of his throat, hands reaching out wrap around Kyo and prevent him from moving further away. Kyo’s voice was rough with suppressed desire as he allowed himself to be tugged back down. “Yuki, as much as I’d love to keep going, we said we were going to slow things down a bit. And..you’re a little sloshed.” He gave Kyo an indignant look and tightened the leg hooked behind one of Kyo’s knees, rolling his hips a bit as his fingers kneaded into the muscles of the ginger’s back. His eyes glittered as he quipped a reply. “I am not _drunk_.” He considered with an elegant tilt of his head before continuing, “Fine. I’m tipsy, but I’m still fully capable of letting you know what I want, thank you very much.” Kyo groaned and his hands spasmed against Yuki’s sides as he fought to control the urge to strip the smaller man and pleasure him within an inch of his life.

Watching the emotions play across Kyo’s face, Yuki relented and stopped teasing him, slowly stilling underneath him. He freed Kyo’s legs and loosened his hold on his waist but didn’t entirely let go. Leaning up, he brushed feather-light kisses along the other man’s jaw before pressing his lips gently to Kyo’s for a brief moment. Burying his face in the ginger’s neck, he murmured softly, lips moving against his skin as he spoke, “You’re right. I’m sorry, but..don’t go. Stay with me for a little while.” Kyo looked down at Yuki, his gaze softening, and he nodded and pressed a light kiss to Yuki’s temple. The taller man surprised him yet again when he wrapped his arms around him and flipped them so that Kyo was on bottom. He found himself sprawled across Kyo’s chest, the other grinning at him lazily. Huffing a laugh, Yuki settled himself more comfortably and leaned his head on Kyo’s shoulder. His fingers idly traced patterns on the skin of Kyo’s stomach, his mind slowly drifting. 

They laid there together for awhile until Yuki felt Kyo shift slightly under him, a soft sigh escaping the ginger. Lifting his head and angling it slightly, he looked up so he could see the other’s expression. Not liking what he saw there, he reached up and cupped Kyo’s face with one hand, fingers caressing gently. “What’s on your mind, Kyo?” Orange eyes slid to his as Kyo turned his face slightly, lips brushing Yuki’s palm softly before he nestled his cheek into the touch. The taller man watched him quietly for a moment, wrestling with whether or not to voice his thoughts. He eventually answered though, his voice muted, “I was thinking about what happened earlier tonight. At the restaurant. Y’know, with those assholes an’ all…” Yuki watched him press his lips together tightly, brow furrowing before the ginger continued, “Yuki..I know how hard it is to be out. People stare. Sometimes they say stuff. My dad didn’t react like your parents, and it makes me so sick inside thinking about how badly they hurt you.” Kyo clenched his hands into fists out of frustration but forced them to uncurl and rested them on Yuki’s lower back instead.

Yuki slid his hand from Kyo’s cheek to his hair, stroking gently. He pressed a soft kiss to his chest, then his shoulder when he got to the part about Yuki’s family. He looked up at him, his expression silently encouraging Kyo to continue, so the other man kept talking. “Sorry. What I’m trying to say is..if..if being out with me is too h..hard, then we can dial it down in public.” Kyo hesitated, then said the rest in a rush, “I hate it. Hiding, I mean. I had enough of that shit when I was younger, but..I’d do anything for you. Whatever it takes to make you feel safe. I’ll deal.” He froze, eyes widening as Kyo fell silent and searched Yuki’s face to gauge his reaction. Yuki swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat and blinked rapidly to ward off the tears he felt threatening to spill over. He buried his face against Kyo’s chest, shaking his head vigorously as his arms wrapped around him and squeezed tightly. “ _No._ No hiding. I’m not ashamed of you, of..of us. I know I didn’t..handle things well tonight, but I never want you to compromise who you are just because I’m a little...wobbly sometimes.” He trailed off, still unable to bring himself to look Kyo in the face just yet.

The ginger was quiet for what felt like an eternity but was likely only a minute or so before smoothing Yuki’s hair away from his face and cupping his chin in one hand gently. When Kyo tugged lightly but insistently, Yuki slowly raised his face to meet the other man’s gaze. The taller man spoke then, his tone warm as a smile slowly blossomed across is features, “Did you just say _us?_ ” Yuki blinked at him then started to laugh helplessly. He choked a little, cleared his throat, and then managed an answer. “You’re so..”—a head shake, and then he started over— “I want..everything with you. Do you understand?” Leaning up, he didn’t wait for Kyo to respond. Instead his mouth claimed Kyo’s, lips parting and tongue flicking along the seam of Kyo’s mouth until the other opened to him. The ginger came alive beneath him then, gripping him tightly by the shoulders and kissing him hungrily. A whimper escaped him as he melted against Kyo and lost himself in the other’s embrace. After a minute, Kyo pulled back with a gasp and a full body shudder as he regained control of himself and spoke, “If we keep doing that I’m going to make love to you right here on your couch.”

Yuki felt something inside him go soft when Kyo said that. It wasn’t just what he’d said but the way he’d said it. Make love. Like it was something precious, something special. He met the ginger’s gaze and knew that if Kyo had asked in that moment they would’ve done exactly that, and Yuki almost wanted to pull him back in for another kiss and seal their fates then and there. What stopped him was the way Kyo was looking at him, with a tenderness that he’d never seen on anyone else’s face in relation to himself. He was jolted out of his thoughts when Kyo spoke again. “About what you said..want..wanting everything. I..me, too. I get it. Cuz..I want that. With you. Ev..everything.” His face beet red, Kyo averted his gaze and fidgeted underneath Yuki, his hands now resting on the couch cushions, palms flat, presumably to resist the urge to continue where they’d left off. Yuki smiled then and couldn’t stop himself from pressing soft kisses to Kyo’s face before murmuring in his ear. “Does this mean I can call you my boyfriend now?”

If Kyo’s face had been red before he was positively scarlet now, and the flush spread from his face to envelop his ears and neck as well. The taller man managed to stammer out an answer though, much to Yuki’s surprise. “Y..yeah. I mean if..if you want to.” Kyo took a few shuddering breaths before turning his head and meeting Yuki’s gaze. Clearing his throat, the ginger spoke again, and this time his voice was steadier. “I want that. I want you and only you.” And then it was Yuki’s turn to blush and look away, but he was smiling when he did. They talked quietly for a bit longer after that, and eventually they realized the time and Kyo took his leave after several long, lingering kisses. Yuki drifted to his bedroom and stripped down before throwing on a pair of pajama bottoms and flopping onto his bed and grabbing his phone from the bedside table. With a dreamy smile he shot off a text to Kakeru:

**He called me his boyfriend. :)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to take Kyo out of his comfort zone here and ended up stirring the pot in a different way than I'd originally planned. I think it ultimately turned out pretty well for our boys, though. I apologize for the ridiculous amounts of goopy romance in this chapter..in the fic in general. I am a sap, and I can't seem to turn it off. Haha. Well, I hope everyone enjoys. I'm sure having a hell of a good time writing it. Cheers to those who've stuck with me so far!


	7. Invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo is nervous about inviting Yuki to go away with him for the weekend. Will Yuki say yes? And how will things turn out if they're alone together for the first time overnight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter yet. It kind of got away from me, but I couldn't have had more fun writing it. Getting around to earning that rating again, so if that's not your thing fair warning. Special thanks goes out to SharkFairy77 for the idea of the boys' weekend destination. This one's for you. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far, and happy reading.

Kyo let out a slow breath and paced the length of his kitchen. He was anxious for Yuki to arrive even though they were just having take-out and watching a movie. They’d been dating for a month at this point, and the ginger still couldn’t quite get used to the idea that things were going so well. Tonight he was planning on asking the writer to go away with him for a weekend, and the idea of their first night alone together somewhere had kept Kyo up late thinking about it. He jumped, shoulders jerking and head snapping in the direction of the front door as the doorbell sounded. _Alright, you idiot. Calm down. You can do this. It’s no big deal. It’s just the hot springs. Right.._ Giving himself a bit of an internal pep talk, he squared his shoulders and crossed into the living room and to the door to let the writer inside. Smiling a bit as he swung the door open and saw Yuki, his arms full of take-out from their favorite Thai place.

Taking the bags from his boyfriend, he stepped back to make room for the other man to come inside and remove his shoes. “Hey, thanks for grabbin’ the food on your way. How’s that thing you were workin’ on goin’?” Kyo plopped the bags down on the coffee table and started pulling out cartons. He snagged a pair of chopsticks and sank onto the couch with a carton of pad thai and looked up as Yuki made his way over and selected a carton and grabbed his own chopsticks before sitting down beside Kyo. The writer grimaced and broke the chopsticks apart, rolling them between his hands as he replied, “Not great. I got about halfway through and ran out of steam. I’m just never going to be passionate about fashion, but this editor begged me to cover the story since it’s about my brother’s shop. And of course Ayame’s been calling me almost daily to offer his opinion. I’m ready for a break.”

Kyo’s gaze flicked up and across to him when he said the part about a break. It was a perfect segue into inviting him to go away for the weekend, but the ginger let the moment pass. _Too early. I’ll do it later, after we eat._ Justifying his reticence, he made sympathetic noises and chewed his mouthful of noodles before swallowing and inclining his head toward the television. “Well, you’re in luck. I can be very distracting. Whatcha wanna watch?” Yuki watched him stuff more pad thai in his mouth, and he smiled and shook his head a little as he picked up the remote and turned the TV on, scrolling through Kyo’s streaming queue absently as he took a bite of his pad krapow moo saap. Arching an eyebrow at some of the stuff he passed on, Yuki snorted a laugh and settled on Seven Samurai. The writer had learned by now that Kyo would fidget through Yuki’s favorite genres and drive him crazy in the meantime. This was a classic, at least, and the fight scenes should keep Kyo engaged enough for Yuki’s peace of mind.

He narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired man slightly but was mollified when Yuki met his gaze and smiled warmly at him. “Oh shit, I forgot drinks. Hold on.” Sticking his chopsticks upright in the carton, he set it aside and got up, talking over his shoulder as he headed back toward the kitchen, “What do you want, water, tea?” When Yuki said water was fine, he disappeared to grab two bottles out of the fridge and came back, handing one over before cracking his own open and flopping back down next to him and taking a swig. “Hah, I remember this one. Good pick.” He picked up his carton of food and went back to devouring the contents. They both settled in and ate in companionable silence while becoming engrossed in the movie. Eventually they finished their food and set the empty cartons aside, and Yuki sidled closer, leaning his head on Kyo’s shoulder with a relaxed sigh.

One corner of Kyo’s mouth quirked up in a smile as he slid an arm around Yuki’s waist and rested his cheek on the top of the other man’s head. These were the moments he looked forward to the most, the two of them just relaxing in each other’s company. Sure, they bantered back and forth sometimes. Yuki had a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue, and he could fluster Kyo more than probably anyone he’d ever met in his life. But Kyo also couldn’t remember being this happy, this content in anyone else’s company besides maybe Tohru. His fingers stroked lazy circles along Yuki’s side over his clothes, and the writer made a contented noise low in his throat and snuggled even closer. Kyo relaxed even further and lost himself in the movie even though he’d seen it several times before.

~~

Kyo’s fingers playing along his side was distracting Yuki and causing his mind to wander from the movie to the man pressed against him. He lifted his head from where it had been resting against Kyo’s shoulder and looked up at him, just studying his features as the other man watched the film. After a minute Kyo looked down, his head tilting slightly as he asked, “Yuki what are yo—” but he was cut off mid-sentence when Yuki leaned in and kissed him deeply. Kyo was only still for a moment before instinct took over and he kissed Yuki back hard. Yuki found himself reaching up and threading his fingers through the ginger’s hair as Kyo tugged him closer by the arm around his waist. Humming his approval, Yuki drew back slightly and nipped at Kyo’s lower lip with his teeth before tugging it into his mouth and sucking softly. This earned a groan from the other man, and after a few minutes the writer let go and sat back a bit with a smug expression as he looked up at Kyo.

The ginger spoke slowly with a bit of a dazed expression, “I thought you liked Seven Samurai.” Yuki grinned wolfishly and leaned into Kyo, angling his head so that he could trail several hot, open-mouthed kisses along Kyo’s neck before answering, lips moving against the tanned man’s skin. “Not as much as I like you. But if you’d rather watch the movie…” he let his words trail off and released Kyo and sank back into the couch cushions, a lazy grin curving his lips. The taller man growled and moved faster than Yuki anticipated, and before he was even fully aware Kyo had him sprawled on his back, a leg between both of his and was kissing him fiercely. A moan escaped him and was swallowed by the kiss as Kyo’s tongue delved into his mouth. He found himself gripping the front of Kyo’s shirt in both hands and kissing him back helplessly.

Yuki whined into Kyo’s mouth as he felt himself starting to grow aroused, and it didn’t help matters when the ginger pressed his thigh against him and started to rock it gently back and forth. They’d fooled around a couple of times since that day in the cafe over a month ago now, but they’d never gone farther than that. It was starting to drive Yuki a bit crazy. He wanted Kyo very badly, and he could feel the reciprocal evidence of the other man’s need hardening against his hip. He broke the kiss and gasped for air as Kyo feathered kisses along his jaw until he reached his ear and tugged the lobe into his mouth, nibbling lightly before starting to suck on it instead. Yuki’s hands spasmed where they were clenched in the fabric of Kyo’s shirt, and he moaned raggedly as he ground himself against the ginger’s thigh shamelessly.

As Kyo released his earlobe and snaked his hands up under Yuki’s shirt to glide his fingertips over the smaller man’s stomach and up his ribs, Yuki groaned and twisted underneath Kyo, arching into the taller man’s touch. He let go of the front of Kyo’s t-shirt only to grasp the bottom of it and yank it over the ginger’s head. Kyo gave a muffled yell of surprise as the fabric bunched at his shoulders before Yuki clawed it the rest of the way off him and tossed it behind him somewhere. Grinning up at the other man, Yuki stroked his hands along Kyo’s shoulders and down his arms before leaning up and taking one of his nipples into his mouth and biting lightly. When this earned a sharp gasp, he soothed it gently with his tongue before sucking hard, his fingers twisting the other lightly.

He felt Kyo writhe above him, the taller man’s hips bucking against Yuki’s. After a few moments he switched to the other nipple, giving both equal attention. Meanwhile Kyo’s hands were combing through Yuki’s hair and cradling his head gently. When the ginger tugged firmly, he obligingly released the nipple from his mouth and leaned back up as the other’s lips collided with his. Kyo kissed him hungrily, and Yuki couldn’t help the small needy sounds that escaped him as the ginger pressed him harder into the couch cushions. Kyo’s weight on top of him was a delicious pressure, and Yuki wanted more. He was slowly slipping further and further into abandon when he felt the other man suddenly break the kiss and jerk back, breathing harshly through his nose. Eyes wide, Yuki looked up at him, and as awareness slowly spilled back into his face his desire was tamped down somewhat and replaced with concern. Reaching up, he cupped the other’s face in his hands and murmured softly, “Kyo, what is it? What’s wrong?”

~~

A bit of the wildness left Kyo’s eyes at Yuki’s touch, and he turned his face slightly and kissed his palm before meeting his gaze and replying, “Nothin’. Not wrong, just..I didn’t mean to get sidetracked like this. I wanted to ask you somethin’.” He flushed and shifted nervously, earning a soft gasp from Yuki as he brushed against his arousal. The writer gave him an arch look and glanced down where their hips were pressed together and then back up at Kyo pointedly. “And you decided you had to tell me _right at this very moment_ , huh?” Chewing his bottom lip, he pushed himself up with his arms, then shifted off Yuki entirely, moving to sit with his feet on the floor and elbows on his knees. Resting his head in his hands, Kyo sighed and muttered in frustration. “I’m not doing this right. I wanted to make it special, but I screwed it up. As usual.” 

Blinking in surprise Yuki sat up and looked at the other man, but when Kyo spoke again, Yuki frowned fiercely and slid closer. Knocking Kyo’s hands out of the way, Yuki took the ginger’s chin in his hand and turned him to face him. “Hey, you didn’t screw anything up. Stop that. Now what did you want to ask me?” Looking up at him, Kyo just watched him for a minute before reaching up and taking Yuki’s hand in his. Lacing their fingers together, he slowly kissed Yuki’s knuckles one at a time before speaking, “I wanted to ask you to go away with me for the weekend, to the hot springs. I know it’s nothin’ fancy, but I—” and for the second time that evening Yuki interrupted him with a kiss. Kyo groaned and pulled the smaller man close, kissing him back until he felt Yuki pull away.

The writer smiled up at him, his eyes bright with barely suppressed joy. Kyo blinked at the uncharacteristic display but couldn’t help the half-smile that curved his mouth in response. Meanwhile, Yuki was responding, “Shut up. It doesn’t need to be fancy, and yes of course I’ll go with you. Kyo, being with you is enough. You know that, right?” He flushed to the tips of his ears and ducked his head, mumbling something incoherent in reply, and Yuki made a frustrated noise low in his throat and yanked on Kyo’s hair to drag his head back toward him. “Try again. And if it’s self-deprecating I’m going to hit you.” Kyo’s gaze slowly found Yuki’s, and he leaned in and kissed him lightly before pulling back and answering, “I better not repeat it then. I like being with you, too, Yuki. More than anyone. Will you hit me if I ask for a raincheck on..on what we were doing before?” Yuki’s gaze softened, and he shook his head, fingers tracing Kyo’s cheek before grazing down his neck and skimming his shoulder lightly.

Kyo leaned back a bit and lifted an arm, inclining his head in invitation, and the writer smiled and snuggled back up against him, head resting on his chest this time. Sighing contentedly, they both settled comfortably against each other and went back to watching the movie. Kyo felt a little stupid for putting off being with the writer, but he really did want things to be special for their first time. They’d dived in headfirst when they’d first met, and while he didn’t regret it for a moment, he’d loved getting to know Yuki in the past month. Each time they parted it got just a little bit harder to let him go, and tonight would be no exception. It scared him that this man was so quickly becoming essential to his happiness, but then again that was how taking chances worked. He absently brushed his lips against Yuki’s forehead, his attention only half on the screen. _God, if you’re up there, do me a solid and don’t let me fuck this up._ His gaze flicked down to the man curled against him. _Not this one._

~~

Yuki toyed with the locks on his suitcase idly and looked around their room. It was actually fairly spacious, with sliding doors that divided the sleeping quarters from the rest of the room. Chewing his lower lip, he popped the locks and unpacked, hanging the few things that might wrinkle otherwise and putting the rest of his clothing in the bureau. Sliding the now empty suitcase into the bottom of the closet, he slid the door shut and stepped back out into the main living area. Kyo had already unpacked and was standing out on their private balcony, his arms resting on the railing, head tilted back to catch the breeze and eyes closed in enjoyment. Smiling softly at the picture the other man made, Yuki drifted out there and joined him. Without looking over, Kyo took one arm off the railing and held it out, an open invitation. The writer sidled closer, and Kyo grabbed him, wrapping his arms around his waist and tucking him between himself and the railing, Yuki’s back to his front.

Huffing a soft laugh, he leaned back against his boyfriend’s chest and looked out at the view. It was going to be dark soon, and he wanted to try the open air baths before they had dinner. He lingered there with Kyo for a few minutes though, in no hurry to break the peace that had stolen over him. Yuki was happy, truly happy after a long time of being alone, and more than that when he was with Kyo he just felt..safe. _He’s so easy to please it’s almost ridiculous._ Sure enough a glance up and behind him confirmed the still closed eyes and contented smile that played along the corners of the ginger’s mouth. Yuki smiled again, and it was full of things that he couldn’t quite bring himself to put into words in that moment, tenderness, affection, and a growing sense that he wasn’t completely whole without the gruff martial artist anymore. Running his fingers along the other man’s tanned forearms, he leaned his head back and pressed a soft kiss to the pulse point in Kyo’s throat before pulling back to speak, “You up for a dip in the open air baths before dinner?”

Biting back a smug smile when Kyo shivered at his lips brushing his skin, he flicked his gaze back and caught the other man’s eyes with his own. The ginger cleared his throat and tightened his hold on Yuki’s waist slightly before responding, “That sounds good, yeah. Let’s go.” They slowly released each other and moved back inside to change into the robes the resort provided and gathered their bathing things before making their way to the baths. Once in the changing area, they stowed their things and Yuki took a deep breath before following Kyo out to step into the open air bath. It wasn’t like this was his first time seeing his boyfriend in the nude, but each time was always enthralling. This was definitely a test of his control as they were in public, and there were several other people scattered throughout the area. His usual mask of cool composure was still in place as he stepped into the water and settled himself beside Kyo, sighing in pleasure as the warmth seeped into his bones.

He let his eyes roam the space, peering past the rock ledge they were leaning against to see the literal forest on the other side. Of course Kyo would pick a place that was practically out in nature. Shaking his head a little, he slid his glance sideways at the ginger, who had apparently been watching him the entire time. Smirking, Yuki leaned back and cocked his head a bit toward the trees. “I was just thinking that this place is very ‘you’—” pausing for added effect, he snaked his fingers through Kyo’s underwater and gave them a squeeze before continuing, “—and I love it. Thank you for bringing me.” The taller man had tensed slightly at the first half, his expression uncertain, but when Yuki’s hand found his he relaxed and grinned down at him before replying. “You better. If you didn’t I was gonna suggest training in the mountains next. Standing under waterfalls, the whole nine yards.”

Yuki choked out a laugh, one eyebrow arching at Kyo’s cheek as he teased right back, “Oh really? What would the main event be? Fighting bears? Have you met me? I don’t do camping.” Kyo spluttered indignantly, his cheeks going slightly red as he looked away and muttered furiously, “I _have_ trained in the mountains with Shishou, y’know, and there were never any bears!” Still chortling slightly, Yuki stroked Kyo’s knuckles with his thumb in a placating gesture and apologized. “I was just teasing, Kyo. Don’t be mad. Hey, tell me about it. What did you guys do out there?” And so for the next hour they just talked and lost track of time. When he realized that they were both impossibly pruny from being in the water so long, he laughed and tugged a lock of Kyo’s hair. “Hey, let’s go get dinner. I know you’re starving by now.” The ginger grimaced as his stomach took the opportunity to respond with a rather loud rumble of affirmation and stood, following the writer up and into the changing room to dry off and pull their robes back on. “Apparently. I’m going to eat until I explode. Everything is good here. You’re not allowed to leave me if I go into a food coma.”

They were walking back to their room as Kyo spoke, and Yuki stumbled a bit when he got to the part about not being allowed to leave him. He clutched Kyo’s arm when the other man reached out to steady him, the ginger’s face shifting from amused to concerned. Yuki shook his head at Kyo when he opened his mouth to ask if he was okay, forestalling his boyfriend from speaking until they were once more safely ensconced in the privacy of their room. As soon as the door closed, Kyo gripped him gently but firmly by the shoulders and turned him to face him as he spoke, “Okay, what happened out there? What did I say?” Yuki wrapped his arms around the ginger’s waist and buried his face in his shoulder, murmuring his reply against the fabric of Kyo’s robe. “Nothing. It wasn’t you. It’s just me being too much in my head sometimes.” 

~~

Kyo frowned, his arms going around Yuki, hands stroking his back in slow, soothing circles as he asked, “You sure?” At the smaller man’s nod, he sighed but ultimately decided to let it go. If Yuki wanted to elaborate, he would, and pressing him would only result in an argument that he definitely didn’t want to have, not on their first weekend away together. Kissing his temple softly, he gave him a squeeze before unwrapping from their embrace to tug him over to the low dining table, grabbing the room service menu on the way. They looked over the selection before calling in their order and lounging on cushions to talk about lighter subjects and wait for their dinner to arrive. By the time the food came he had Yuki smiling again by telling him some stories about Momiji and Tohru’s disgustingly adorable courtship, and the atmosphere had shifted back to the comfortable peace they’d shared earlier on the balcony.

When everything was laid out on the table they both served themselves, and true to his word, Kyo began tucking away a truly obscene amount of food. Yuki paused halfway through his own first helping to just watch him for a few minutes, his eyebrows slowing climbing higher and higher until it felt like they were probably halfway to his hairline. Kyo looked up, halted with his chopsticks only part of the way to his mouth and said, “What? Do I have something on my face?” This sent the writer into gales of helpless laughter, and Kyo’s expression slowly shifted from bewildered to sullen. He shoved more salmon into his mouth and chewed furiously before swallowing and flinging his chopsticks down, arms crossing over his chest as he glared at his boyfriend from across the table.

Yuki hiccuped a few times, as he tried desperately to contain his amusement. He hadn’t laughed this hard in front of another person in quite awhile, but he did start to feel a bit guilty with Kyo sulking at him. Clearing his throat, he schooled his expression into contriteness and apologized, “Oh Kyo, don’t be mad. I’m sorry. You were just eating so much food so quickly that it..well, you reminded me of a chipmunk or a hamster. You know, one of those little creatures who stuff their cheeks..” He trailed off when he saw that this was rather having the opposite effect than he intended as Kyo’s expression grew darker and darker. He smiled weakly and tried again, “I thought it was cute.” And was met with another baleful glare. _Well, that wasn’t working. I have to turn this around somehow._ Musing to himself, he had another thought and his expression shifted from penitent to predatory as he slowly shifted to his hands and knees and began to crawl around the table toward the other man.

Kyo’s scowl faltered as Yuki started to crawl toward him, his movements languidly graceful. The smaller man spoke again, and his voice dipped low and slightly husky, “I guess I’m just going to have to make it up to you somehow, hmm?” By that time the writer had made it to Kyo’s side of the table, and his robe was gaping open at the top, exposing a good expanse of pale, smooth skin that drew Kyo’s eyes like a magnet to steel. His mouth went dry, his anger evaporating as he turned toward Yuki, eyes widening slightly as the writer smiled at him slowly and pushed his knees apart before crawling between them and sitting up slightly to wrap his arms around Kyo’s neck loosely. He reached up and gripped the slender man’s waist, the meal utterly forgotten as he bent his head and claimed Yuki’s mouth in a heated kiss.

This elicited a pleased mewl from Yuki, who kissed him back hungrily, tongue delving into Kyo’s mouth while the ginger’s hands slipped into his robe, further loosening it as seeking fingers teased his nipples and traced lazy patterns on the skin of his chest and sides. Kyo slowly bore Yuki down onto the cushions til he was sprawled on his back, robe half off one shoulder, face flushed and hair falling into his eyes, his expression dazed and full of want. He slowly tugged on the sash that at this point only barely kept Yuki’s robe secured and leaned down, licking a hot, wet trail up the writer’s neck before pausing to murmur against the shell of Yuki’s ear, his breath fanning hotly over the sensitive flesh. “You have to tell me if you want me to stop, Yuki. Is this okay?”

Yuki’s eyelashes fluttered as he struggled to focus on what Kyo was saying rather than the way his breath sent pleasant shivers down his skin. Pupils blown wide with desire, he looked up, finally met Kyo’s gaze and grabbed a fistful of the other man’s robe. Yanking his face close, he kissed him like he was going to devour him, nipping his lower lip sharply before pulling it into his mouth to suck on it hard. When Kyo was groaning and writhing above him in reaction, Yuki slowly released his lip with a wet pop and replied with a devilish little smirk, “Does that answer your question, love?” The ginger growled and wasted no further time before undoing the knot that held Yuki’s robe shut, spreading the fabric away from the slender man’s body and peering down at him, his gaze greedily raking over every inch of exposed flesh.

He saw Yuki’s breathing hitch at the intensity of Kyo’s scrutiny and grinned in a knowing way. Slowly leaning down, he kissed the writer again, his hands roaming everywhere he could reach, exploring, caressing, mapping the exquisite landscape of Yuki’s skin. Yuki’s eyes slid shut, and his fingers tangled in Kyo’s hair as he kissed him back almost desperately. When the ginger broke the kiss to slowly make his way down Yuki’s body one blessed inch at a time, the smaller man arched up into his touch, soft whimpers escaping him as Kyo’s mouth trailed ever lower, across his chest, down the flat planes of his abs to pause at his midriff. Kyo’s gaze flicked up to catch the writer’s, and their eyes locked as he dipped his tongue into Yuki’s navel, which earned him a low wail and Yuki’s fingers tightening in his hair, tugging it just enough to sting a little. Encouraged, he pressed hot, open mouthed kisses along Yuki’s hip bones, before scooting lower and nipping lightly along the inside of one of the slender man’s thighs. 

Gasping, Yuki propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at Kyo, his voice wavering and breathless as he spoke, “God, Ky..Kyo, please. I need you.” The writer had barely managed to get the last bit out before the taller man was moving, eyes dark with desire. Kyo grasped Yuki’s cock, which was by now fully erect and weeping slightly at the tip and squeezed the base firmly before taking him into his mouth. The pale man groaned and arched up in reaction, fingers gripping Kyo’s orange locks tightly as the ginger took him all the way to the hilt. He quickly established a punishing rhythm, head bobbing up and down as his tongue danced along Yuki’s length, the hand that wasn’t on his shaft caressing his sack gently and occasionally dipping farther back to tease the crease between Yuki’s pert little ass cheeks. 

Yuki’s hips were moving of their own accord now. He couldn’t help but thrust upward into the wet heat of Kyo’s willing mouth, and his cries were becoming steadily louder and more frantic. His eyes snapped open, and he pulled urgently on the other man’s hair, choking out a warning, “Kyo, st..stop. If you d-don’t I’m going to—” but the ginger only removed his mouth long enough to give a quick head shake before engulfing Yuki’s length again, sucking hard. This was Yuki’s undoing, and any last vestige of control left him as he moaned Kyo’s name in a breathless litany before stiffening then arching, body shuddering as he went spiraling over the edge, cumming in long, hot spurts down the other man’s throat.

Kyo swallowed with no apparent difficulty or reluctance, even lapping at the tip until Yuki twitched and whimpered from the over-stimulation. Grinning wolfishly, he slowly crawled back up the other man’s body before settling on his side and tugging Yuki flush against him, cradling him against his chest and pressing gentle kisses to his forehead. The writer closed his eyes and tugged Kyo’s face down to his, kissing his lips softly before pulling his head back a bit to whisper, “That was..god, Kyo—” a pause to clear his throat before continuing “—you’re amazing, you know.” Kyo smiled lazily and stroked Yuki’s cheek gently as he watched him with a fond expression. He was quiet for a moment before replying, “I love touching you. I’ll never get tired of it or of making you feel good. I want..so much more with you, Yuki.” His voice got steadily more hushed until he was barely whispering, “I want ev..everything with you.” 

~~

Yuki went still against Kyo, his palms flat against the other man’s chest, his gaze stuck somewhere about the ginger’s jawline. He couldn’t quite make himself look any higher. Heat suffused his face as, after a few beats of tense silence, he finally found his voice, “What are you trying to say, Kyo?” The taller man blinked down at him in confusion at first, but resolve quickly replaced it. A calm stole over Kyo, and his voice was still soft but his tone was firm and sure when he replied, “That I love you. I’m saying that I love you. You’re it for me.” The ginger was watching him steadily, one hand a comforting presence at the base of Yuki’s spine. His breath escaped him in a rush as he finally jerked his gaze up to meet Kyo’s. His mouth opened, then shut again, and he swallowed as his mind processed the confession. Unexpectedly he felt the sting of tears prick his eyes and blinked furiously to dismiss them as a slightly trembling hand lifted to trace the outline of Kyo’s face before cupping his cheek gently, thumb brushing along his cheekbone slowly.

He took a few deep breaths and tried again, and this time when he opened his mouth he found the words coming to him. “I love you, too. Every minute with you has been like some kind of dream. I keep being afraid I’m going to wake up and find out it wasn’t real. After..after the last person I was with I didn’t know if I’d ever find this again. I wasn’t sure if I could bear it. But you’re worth it. You’re worth everything.” Guiding Kyo’s head down to him, he kissed him deeply, open-mouthed and hungry with the promise of more. The ginger’s eyes slid shut as he kissed him back still cradling Yuki close, his touches gentle and light. Yuki’s hands went to the belt of Kyo’s robe, tugging the knot loose and drawing it open. Reaching up, he shoved the robe off of Kyo’s shoulders, and the other man shrugged out of it without even breaking their liplock.

His hands went everywhere they could reach, skimming the slope of Kyo’s shoulders, tracing the firm muscles of his back, even dipping down and cupping his taut backside and squeezing firmly. The taller man practically purred in response, hips rolling against Yuki’s, causing both of them to break the kiss and gasp for air when their erections brushed together. Yuki leaned back into him, head dipping to trail kisses along Kyo’s throat as he reached down between them to clasp both of their dicks in hand and slowly begin to pump them rhythmically. The ginger groaned and threw his head back, giving Yuki clearer access to his neck, which he happily took advantage of by nipping a particularly sensitive spot before lathing it with his tongue. Yuki shivered as Kyo thrust against him, one hand gripping his hip for leverage, the other sliding through his hair to grasp it firmly and pull him up into another scorching kiss.

The silver-haired man gave a deep-throated moan that was swallowed by Kyo’s mouth on his. He kissed him back feverishly, their tongues clashing for dominance, but Kyo was having none of it. The taller man tightened his grip on Yuki’s hair, his tongue thrusting into Yuki’s mouth in time to the pumping of his hips, and the smaller man whimpered into his mouth and went boneless in his grasp. When Kyo finally relented and released Yuki’s hair and allowed them both some air, Yuki caught Kyo’s hand with the one that wasn’t busy between their bodies and brought it to his mouth. Making direct eye contact, he slowly tipped his head forward and took two of Kyo’s fingers into his mouth and swirled his tongue around them before starting to suck them slowly. 

The ginger’s breath caught in his throat as he watched with widened eyes. “Y-Yuki..ohhh, god. Wha—?” Yuki cut him off mid-sentence when he took a third finger into his mouth and dragged his teeth lightly along them before resuming sucking on them languidly. His grip on their cocks tightened, and he rolled his hips as little jolts of pleasure shot down his spine. After a few minutes of prolonging his advantage, Yuki released Kyo’s fingers with a wet pop and tilted his head, nipping at the other’s earlobe before whispering against his ear. “I want you inside me, Kyo.” He’d even..prepped for it beforehand, hoping that tonight would finally be the night they went all the way. The ginger needed no further urging. Kyo growled and flipped Yuki onto his stomach, and when the writer squeaked in protest and tried to raise himself onto his hands and knees, Kyo only allowed him to get his knees under him but pushed his front back down flat to the cushions, causing his back to arch deeply. 

Yuki gasped when Kyo spread his ass cheeks and tensed, expecting to be nudged by more than fingers, but his boyfriend had something else in mind. When he felt a tongue lapping at his entrance he found himself gripping the cushions beneath him and groaning, a shudder running through him at the contact. Kyo continued to rim him as Yuki writhed, hips jerking involuntarily, his cries getting steadily louder. His cock was twitching and oozing pre-cum, and he thought he might not be above begging when he felt a finger slowly being eased into him. He mewled softly as Kyo started working it back and forth inside of him, and when the ginger thought he was ready, added another and started flexing them and twisting before picking up the pace. His breaths were coming in harsh pants now, and as Kyo eased a third finger into him and curled them forward _just so_..Yuki’s vision went white as a full-throated cry escaped him.

~~

Kyo grinned wickedly and continued to work his fingers in and out of Yuki for a few more minutes, the slender man reduced to a writhing, moaning mess against his onslaught. He finally eased his fingers out and leaned over the other man, placing a soft kiss to the nape of his neck before murmuring against his skin, “Don’t move now. I’ll be right back.” Yuki whimpered but did as he was told, his face buried in the cushions to hide how red he’d turned at the order. The ginger stood up and disappeared into the sleeping area for moment. When he returned, he padded silently back over to Yuki’s prone form, kneeling behind him and gently massaging his ass before popping the cap on the bottle he’d retrieved from his luggage and squirting some of the contents into his palm. 

Warming the lube in his hands, he slicked his fingers and worked them back into Yuki’s already stretched hole while coating his straining erection with the remainder. He paused, gaze softening as he looked down at the man he loved. His voice was husky and thick with need when he spoke, but he couldn’t help but check in. “Yuki, love, are you sur—” but before he got any further Yuki looked over his shoulder at him, his eyes narrowed, disheveled bangs falling across his forehead. The writer growled at him and spat out, “Kyo, if you finish that sentence I swear to God I’ll kill you. Fuck me. **Now.** ” Pupils dilating, he pulled his fingers out of Yuki and gripped his hip instead, his other hand positioning himself at Yuki’s entrance. 

Meeting the other man’s gaze, he ground out a response, voice tight with strained control, “With pleasure.” And so saying he thrust forward, slowly sinking into him with a groan. He paused about halfway and gave Yuki a chance to breathe and get used to his girth. When the smaller man nodded, face once more pressed into the cushions, breaths quick and measured, Kyo pushed the rest of the way into him, gasping as his hips pressed flush against the other man’s backside. “Fuck! Yuki, you’re s-so damn tight..god…” He closed his eyes and slowly started to move inside him. The writer was making all sorts of delightful noises, his hips bucking back to match Kyo’s thrusts eagerly. Kyo leaned into him and pressed several kisses to his back before breathing hotly against the back of his neck, teeth nipping lightly as he reached a hand between them and grasped Yuki’s throbbing cock and begin working his shaft in time with his own thrusts.

The smaller man writhed underneath him, turning his head and desperately tangling the fingers of one hand in Kyo’s hair as he kissed him. Kyo groaned into his mouth and kissed him back hard, hands tightening on the slender hips moving steadily against him. Yuki was the first to break away, voice coming out high and pleading, “God, Kyo..more— I want..ohhh, fuck! Harder!” Kyo’s nostrils flared, and his eyes darkened, a shudder wracking him as he complied and picked up the pace, pounding relentlessly into the other man, the hand fisting Yuki’s cock tightening and quickening as well. Yuki’s back arched even lower, bringing his ass flush against Kyo’s abdomen, and he ground himself back into the taller man, no longer anywhere close to in control of his mouth as he begged, “There! Fuck..Kyo! Kyo, I’m cumming! Please don’t stop, oh god, don’t stop…”

Kyo felt Yuki spasming under him, body jerking as he came for the second time that evening, coating the cushions and Kyo’s fingers with his seed. Gritting his teeth, he bowed his head and kept thrusting into the other man until he could no longer hold off against the tightening of Yuki’s insides around him. He gave a strangled cry and tried to pull back, but Yuki reacted lightning quick and grabbed his hips, bucking back into him and shaking his head in furious negation, “No, inside me. I want it. Cum for me, Kyo..” That was all it took, and any lingering control Kyo might’ve had vanished as he jerked the slender man up against him and came with a low growl, filling him with quick, vicious jerks of his hips. Gasping, they both collapsed, Yuki falling forward onto the cushions and Kyo lurching over onto his side after carefully pulling out of him.

He reached out and gathered Yuki to him, unsatisfied with the lack of his nearness. The smaller man turned into him, pressing his face into Kyo’s chest as his arms went around his waist. He smiled softly then, warming from the inside out as he stroked the other man’s back in lazy circles, feathering kisses against his hair. They lay like that for awhile, just basking in the afterglow and utterly content wrapped in each other’s arms. Kyo was the first to break the silence, his voice a low rumble in Yuki’s ear pressed against his chest, “We need another bath now.” A laugh bubbled up after, and this made Yuki smile in response to Kyo’s giddiness. The writer leaned up, silencing Kyo with deep and thorough kiss.

They rolled about lazily for the next few minutes, trading open-mouthed kisses and nuzzling each other languidly. Eventually Kyo pinned Yuki beneath him and pressed one more soft kiss to his throat before shifting up and scooping him into his arms with a subtle ripple of muscles moving under tanned skin. Yuki gasped and clutched Kyo’s shoulders, eyes a little wide as he spoke, “I can walk, you brute. Put me down.” Kyo’s canines glinted as he grinned and shook his head walking smoothly in the direction of the bedroom and connecting private bath. “Nuh-uh. I like having you right where I want you.” Yuki shot him a peeved glare, but his lips twitched at the corners with suppressed laughter, giving the lie to his first impression. Fingers caressing his shoulders slowly, Yuki relented with a laugh, “Oh fine, but if you drop me I’ll kick your ass.”

Kyo snorted as they made it to the bathroom, and he set Yuki down long enough to start the water in the shower, not feeling like waiting for the tub to fill. Once the temperature was good and hot he tugged his lover under the spray and kissed him deeply. After a few minutes of distracted kissing and groping, Yuki pulled back and looked up at him with an amused glint in his eyes. “We’re never going to get clean if you keep doing that. Here, quit it and give me the soap.” The writer smacked Kyo’s hands away when the ginger surreptitiously groped his backside again and lathered the loofah before beginning to run it over Kyo’s skin in slow, thorough circles. Placated by the sensation, the ginger stilled and closed his eyes, letting Yuki wash him with a quiet hum of approval. 

After Yuki’d gone over his body with the loofah, Kyo plucked it out of his hands and took over washing the pale expanse of Yuki’s back. The writer looked at him over his shoulder with one eyebrow arched imperiously, a smirk curving one corner of his mouth upward. Feeling challenged, Kyo grinned back insolently and soaped down his backside slowly, fingers slipping between his cheeks to tease his entrance deftly. Yuki’s tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, and his eyes slid shut, head falling back against Kyo’s shoulder. The ginger kissed his throat and switched to washing Yuki’s front while still encircling him from behind, hands moving slowly down his chest and stomach, over both arms, then gently between his legs. The smaller man shuddered against him, still highly sensitive after their antics in the living room.

Relenting with a small huff of laughter, Kyo nuzzled the line of Yuki’s jaw and pressed a kiss to the pulse in his throat before tugging him back under the spray of water to rinse him off. He shampooed his hair next, fingers adept and gentle, then rinsed that as well. Smiling at Yuki’s drowsy state, he was quicker when he scrubbed his own hair, preferring to finish up and get the other man out the shower and dried off. When they were both dry and wrapped in fresh robes, Kyo tugged Yuki back into the living room and pushed him down onto the cushions on the unsullied side of the table, gathering the few that had been casualties of their love-making and tossing them in the laundry with a silent thought of apology toward the housekeepers.

Yuki roused a bit and blinked when Kyo came back and set a plate of some things that would still be palatable cold in front of him. The ginger murmured in his ear as he settled himself beside him on the cushions, “You only ate like half your food. So here. It’s still good, I promise.” So saying, he dished out one for himself and tucked in with relish. The writer smiled and shook his head before looking down at his own plate and discovering to his surprise that he was actually famished, so he followed Kyo’s example and resumed eating. Yuki ended up finishing the whole thing and going back for seconds, not that this competed with Kyo’s fourth helping. They both sat back with contented sighs, Kyo groaning and rubbing his slightly distended stomach. Yuki laughed at him and stood up and cleared away the things on the table, waving away Kyo’s half-hearted offer to get up and help.

The taller man watched as Yuki drifted back to him, and he got up and met him halfway, tugging him into his arms and leaning down for a slow, tender kiss. When they came up for air, he looked down at him and said, “Best weekend ever.” A half-smile curved his mouth, and for once Kyo was all soft-edges as he met Yuki’s gaze. The writer melted into him, fingers caressing the hair at the nape of Kyo’s neck as he murmured a response. “I concur. Thank you for bringing me. Now take me to bed.” Kyo grinned and hefted Yuki into his arms again, the other man’s arms encircling his neck loosely as he was carried into the other room. His voice was low and teasing as he replied, “Awful bossy one I’ve got on my hands, eh?”

The silver haired man gave him an arch look as he was set on the bed gently and shed his robe with unconscious grace before settling himself under the covers. Kyo watched him with open appreciation before disrobing and crawling into bed beside him. He reached out and pulled Yuki to him, tucking the writer against him snugly and kissing him softly, one hand settling at the base of the writer’s spine, fingers stroking idly. Yuki made a pleased rumble deep in his throat and kissed him back, one leg sliding in between Kyo’s, his hands reaching up and sinking into his hair. When the kiss ended, Yuki pulled back and murmured softly, “Somebody has to be the brains of this operation, after all.” Kyo huffed a laugh and gave him an affectionate squeeze, nuzzling his hair before trailing kisses along his jaw and down his throat, speaking idly between kisses, “Mhmm..you’re lucky...that you’re so..damn sexy, y’know…”

Yuki moaned and arched slightly into Kyo’s touches, feeling the beginnings of arousal pooling in the pit of his stomach again. The writer’s voice was breathy and soft when he managed a reply, “Y-you’re not s..ohhhh, K-Kyo…” he trailed off, unable to finish his thought due to the things the taller man was currently doing with his mouth and the hand that had slipped between their bodies and dipped low. Grinning wolfishly, Kyo released the nipple he’d been sucking on and straightened his spine, kissing Yuki fiercely before pulling back long enough to look down at him. “I love you, Yuki, and I’m gonna spend the rest of the night showing you how much.” Cheeks flushing red, Yuki looked up at him, fingers combing through his orange hair gently for a moment before he responded in a soft whisper, “Best weekend ever.” It was much, much later that they finally curled close, sated and spent, and drifted off into a contented sleep in each other’s arms.


	8. Fun with Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuki and Kyo are meeting each other's respective friend groups, and Yuki is nervous about it. Will Kyo think they're just a bunch of nerds? Will Kyo's friends hate him? Will they all get along? Only one way to find out.

It had been two weeks since their trip to the hot springs, and Yuki had finally agreed that it was time to introduce Kyo to his friends. He was not looking forward to the occasion. The only thing he dreaded more at this point was the idea of introducing Kyo to his brother, and he could only imagine how much of a headache _that_ was going to be. Kakeru, however, was over the moon and had talked of almost nothing else for days. The plan was to bring Kyo to their regularly scheduled game night on Saturday evening, and the night had finally arrived. Yuki had vetoed the idea of throwing Kyo into the deep end of tabletop gaming, and they had all agreed to a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity instead. What he hadn’t been able to convince them of, however, was not throwing the whole group at him at once, so he found himself clutching Kyo’s hand and leading him slowly up the sidewalk toward Kakeru and Komaki’s place. Kyo glanced down at him with an amused grin and barked out, “Come on Yuki they can’t be that bad. They’re your friends. It’s gonna be fine.”

Yuki gave him a dark look before glancing toward the door and dragging his feet even more than before, muttering his response, “You say that now, but you haven’t met them all yet. Haru’s coming, and he’s bringing his girlfriend Rin. Kakeru’s a loudmouth who can only be reigned in by his wife. That’s Komaki, but she goes by Maki. She’s great. Then there’s Machi, Kakeru’s sister, Nao, and Kimi. It’s like I could never escape student council from high school.” Sighing, he ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair in a nervous gesture and stopped, tugging Kyo to a halt beside him. Looking up at him, he met those warm orange eyes and instantly felt a little calmer. “Just..promise me if it’s too much you’ll tell me. I’ll make an excuse, and we can leave. I know they’re going to like you. It’s just..they can be a lot, and they tend to tease…” Kyo cut him off with a finger to his lips.

When the ginger responded, his voice was gentle but still threaded with a hint of amusement. “I can handle it. I promise. I grew up with Momiji, remember? And you haven’t even met Tohru’s other friends yet. Uotani could probably give anyone a run for their money, that damn Yankee..” Huffing a laugh, Kyo continued, “Anyway, you’ll see next week when the tables are turned. Stop worrying. And stalling.” The taller man started dragging Yuki toward the front door again, forcing the writer to either match his pace or risk falling flat on his face. When they reached their destination, Yuki grimaced and looked at the front door as if it were a puzzle he could solve if he stood there long enough. Kyo lifted a hand to knock and Yuki grabbed it and laced his fingers through it instead. With his other hand, he dragged Kyo’s head down to his, kissing him quickly and fiercely before releasing him and taking a deep breath. Before the ginger could quite recover, Yuki rapped sharply on the door with his knuckles and opened it after hearing the shouted, “It’s open!” from within. 

Both light and sound enveloped them as they entered and slid their shoes off in the foyer. Yuki bumped the door shut with his hip and then turned and locked it with a flick of his wrist before leading Kyo into the combined living room/dining area. Shouts of welcome greeted them from all sides, but it was Kakeru who got to them first, his smile bright and eyes gleaming as he looked Kyo up and down before clapping him on the back and gesturing to the room at large with his other hand, “Welcome to our home! Yuki kept you to himself long enough. Manabe Kakeru. Pleased to meet you, Kyo! Huh, I can see why he tried to hide you. He’s a looker, isn’t he, darling?” This last was directed at Maki, who had come up behind Kakeru and slipped an arm around his waist and offered a kind smile to both Yuki and Kyo. She eyed her husband before replying in a much calmer tone, “Hello, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Don’t mind Kakeru. He’s all mouth. Would you like anything to drink? We have tea, soda, beer?”

Kakeru gave her a wounded look and slouched into an armchair to sulk, “Slandered by my own wife. My poor heart..” Clutching his chest and sighing dramatically, he slumped and made puppy dog eyes at Maki, who ignored him and went to grab Yuki and Kyo drinks when they both said tea would be fine. In the meantime Yuki went around the room introducing Kyo to everyone else. Haru and Rin were sitting at the dining room table setting up the cards, Haru shuffling through a stack of black cards and Rin splitting up white cards into several piles. They both greeted Kyo with little preamble, Haru eyeing Kyo with mild interest that bespoke more than his simple greeting let on by itself. Yuki gave him a warning look before practically shoving Kyo across the room to the couch where Nao perched, arms crossed and in a heated conversation with Kimi about something on the television. They both dropped it in favor of meeting Yuki’s mystery boyfriend, and Kimi immediately voiced her approval of Yuki’s very fine taste in buff men, which had the martial artist red all the way to his ears and Yuki giving the woman an exasperated look in turn.

That left Machi, who was settled quietly in another chair on the far side of the couch. She gave Kyo a thoughtful once over before nodding and saying an equally quiet hello. The ginger’s eyebrows furrowed uncertainly, but Yuki smiled encouragingly. They exchanged a few minutes of casual conversation with the group around the couch before Maki returned with their drinks and joined them. Finally taking pity on her husband, she sat on the arm of his chair and patted his shoulder fondly, which had the instantaneous effect of brightening Kakeru and causing him to bounce up and begin to herd everyone to the table. “Shall we get this party started, folks? I’ve been looking forward to this all week. I can’t wait to see what kind of combos you come up with, Kyo!” With a jaunty grin, Kakeru plopped down into a chair next to Maki at the table, and everyone else started trickling in and taking up different spots at the table. Kyo eyed the cards as he slid into a chair next to Yuki before glancing over at Kakeru, a touch of chagrin in his voice, “I..ah, I’ve actually never played this before. I’ve heard about it, though…” 

At this the entire table erupted in chatter, all talking over each other at the same time. Yuki, seeing Kyo’s discomfort, immediately reached for his hand under the table and laced their fingers together, squeezing gently. He cleared his throat a few times, and when that didn’t work resorted to pinching Kakeru sharply on the arm. The resulting yelp and wounded look he earned phased him not a bit, and he gestured pointedly to the rabble around them. Understanding passed through his best friend’s eyes, and he nodded and turned his attention to their friends who were all expressing disbelief at Kyo’s confession and simultaneously trying to explain the rules. Kakeru opened his mouth and shouted above the din, “Shut up! That’s enough! Quiet, you animals!” When order had been restored, the boisterous host grinned and proceeded to explain how to play while dealing out white cards to everyone.

The next several hours proceeded to be both a learning experience for Kyo and an amusing time for Yuki as he slowly watched his friend group envelope his lover seamlessly into their always rowdy but ever affectionate circle. It also turned out that Kyo wasn’t half bad at the game, though he didn’t know everyone’s senses of humor quite well enough to make informed choices based on who was judging at any given moment. Still, he did well enough, and by the end of the night he was laughing and chatting with everyone with only a few awkward moments that were smoothed over by Yuki or Kakeru as if they’d never occurred at all. Yuki watched him flush red at some quip Haru made and then yell animatedly back, more flustered than really angry, and he had to hide a smile behind his hand. He found that he actually envied the ginger just a little as he took in how easily Kyo seemed to click with everyone at the table. His boyfriend was hot-headed and awkward at first, but it didn’t take long for people to warm up to him. It had always been the opposite for Yuki. He tended to put up a wall with strangers, a polite mask that many found charming but kept him from feeling truly accepted right away. But he loved Kyo for his warmth, the way he cared so fiercely for the people he loved, his gentleness when it was just the two of them.

Kyo chose that moment to look over at Yuki and catch his eye, his face lighting up with a grin that was all for him, and the writer flushed a little and smiled softly back. Maki called them adorable, and this earned them both a round of teasing from Kakeru and Haru. Looking at the time, the group slowly started to disperse, Nao and Kimi bidding everyone goodbye and heading off separately while Haru and Rin stuck around to help pack the huge collection of cards back in their respective boxes. Machi chatted amicably with Yuki while Kyo argued with Haru about some new students at the dojo and helped put the game away. Maki and Kakeru were collecting cups and putting things in the dishwasher and when everything was sorted and packed away joined the others back in the living room for the round of goodbyes.

Kakeru pounded Kyo on the back happily and grinned good-naturedly as he proclaimed him perfect for Yuki, saying he’d bring him out of his shell quite nicely. The ginger blushed and scratched the back of his neck and mumbled something like a thank you but no one was quite sure. Yuki, on the other hand, looked ready to commit murder, and Haru was cackling and took the opportunity to saunter over and circle an arm around the writer’s slim hips, tugging him up against his side and tilting his head down toward his cousin, a feral smirk playing along his mouth as he spoke, “You know, sweetheart, if you ever get it in your pretty little head to share, Rin and I would love to break him in with you. I’m sure he’d only take a bit of training..” The younger man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Kyo turned as red as his hair. Embarrassment was rapidly replaced by jealousy, however, and he stalked over and yanked Haru’s arm away from Yuki and twisted him into an armlock while growling, “Hands off, you crazy fucker!” 

Rin rolled her eyes and crossed the room to retrieve her boyfriend, hips rolling suggestively as she moved. Stopping in front of Kyo and Haru, she tapped the back of one of Kyo’s hands with a black-lacquered nail and arched an eyebrow. Kyo huffed and released Haru, backing up to Yuki and drawing him close, fingers tightening possessively on his hips. Laughing darkly, Rin drew Haru down to her for a kiss and nipped his lip playfully before letting him go and murmuring, “You got what you deserved. Don’t expect me to rescue you if you provoke our little firecracker again, lover.” Haru’s eyes darkened with the promised of other things, and he grinned impudently down at her before flicking his gaze back to Kyo and Yuki. “I don’t know, my heart. It might be fun to see what he’s like all riled up.” Meanwhile, Machi and Maki had been watching all this go down with wide eyes and no intention on commenting, but Kakeru being himself of course had to contribute, “This is better than dinner theater. Should I go make popcorn?”

Yuki gave Kakeru a withering look before beseeching Maki to control her husband and announcing that they were _leaving now_. Bidding Machi and Maki a much more pleasant farewell than the exasperated and hasty ones he shot at Haru, Rin, and Kakeru, he practically dragged Kyo out the door after the ginger just barely managed to thank Maki for her hospitality before he was yanked out by the collar of his shirt. Fuming, Yuki stomped along for several blocks before stopping abruptly and turning toward Kyo, who fumbled to a halt and shot his lover a wary glance. Breathing out slowly, Yuki slid a hand through his hair before deflating a little and stepping up to Kyo and wrapping himself around the ginger and burying his face in the crook of Kyo’s neck. The taller man blinked in surprise and slowly, carefully slid his arms around Yuki’s waist, hands stroking his back in a wordless attempt at comforting him. They stood like that for a few moments before Yuki mumbled, his voice slightly muffled since he wouldn’t untuck his head from under Kyo’s chin, “I’m sorry about that. Haru..he likes to tease, but he didn’t mean it..I think. But it doesn’t matter. I won’t share you. You’re **mine**.” He bit out that last word so fiercely his teeth clicked together at the end of his sentence.

Kyo huffed a laugh and lifted one hand to sift through Yuki’s hair slowly, his other hand still making lazy circles on his lower back. When the ginger spoke, his voice was pitched low, his anger gone, having fizzled out in the rush of leaving, replaced now with fondness for the man in his arms. “Glad to know we’re on the same page, then. Cuz I’m not sharing you either.” He leaned down, nuzzling Yuki’s ear with his nose before placing several kisses along the side of the writer’s face and continuing, “Listen, don’t worry about it. I had fun tonight, craziness aside. Next time I’ll just take Haru outside and beat his ass, then we can go back to having a good time with your sane friends.” Yuki choked out a laugh and shook his head, grip tightening around Kyo briefly before he lifted his head and met the ginger’s gaze with an arch of one elegant eyebrow. “Next time? You want to do that _again?_ I’m shocked you aren’t running for the hills already.” His voice faltered a bit at the end, his tone betraying his uncertainty.

The taller man sighed softly and leaned down, capturing Yuki’s lips in a kiss that left the writer dizzy when Kyo finally released his mouth. Kyo murmured a reply as he traced a finger down the side of Yuki’s face lightly. “I’m not going anywhere. You should know better than that by now.” Swallowing roughly, Yuki nodded quickly and hugged Kyo to him tightly one more time before drawing back and resuming walking beside him down the sidewalk. He did reach out and grasp Kyo’s hand, unwilling to not be touching his boyfriend in some fashion as they made their way down the street. After a few minutes Yuki broke the silence, “Stay over tonight.” His gaze flickered over to Kyo before hastily shifting back to the ground while he waited on a reply. The ginger’s smile was slow and bright and when he responded in the affirmative his voice was husky with the promise of things to come.

~~

The week passed by in a blur for Kyo. Between work at the dojo, a date night with Yuki, and dinner with Shishou one evening he was kept busy enough to barely notice the passage of time. But Sunday had arrived, and today was the day it was Yuki’s turn to meet his friend group. Tohru had gleefully offered to host since Momiji’s and her place was bigger than Kyo’s and also closer to the city, and that meant that Hana and Uo wouldn’t have to travel as far. They were also having lunch, and Tohru was the best cook out of all of them. No one had argued the point when they were making their plans to meet up. Kyo had decided to meet Yuki at his place, so they could go to Tohru’s together, which is why he found himself knocking on his boyfriend’s door and quirking a grin at him when Yuki let him in. The writer was fidgeting and tugging at the hem of the sweater he had on over a crisp white button-down. “Do you think this is too dressy, Kyo?”

The ginger’s grin grew as he closed the distance between them and placed his hands atop Yuki’s, stilling the man’s fussing. “You look great, as usual, and you’ve met most of my friends already. What are you so worried about, huh?” Yuki chewed his lower lip and looked up through a fringe of lashes that were long enough to be the envy of women everywhere. When the writer responded his tone was laced with anxiety, “I haven’t seen Momiji in ages, and I only know Tohru-san from the cafe. And didn’t you say one of her friends is a Yankee and the other one has some sort of..vibe-thing? I don’t want them to—” Kyo cut Yuki off mid-sentence by leaning down and kissing him soundly, taking advantage of his mouth being open and sliding his tongue in to delve deeper and savor the moment slowly.

His arms slid around Yuki, gathering him close, fingers trailing over his sides in a leisurely fashion. The smaller man made a startled noise in his throat at being interrupted but very quickly forgot what he had been saying in favor of clutching the front of Kyo’s shirt in his hands and kissing him back helplessly as his eyes slid shut. They stood there like that for several minutes as Kyo plundered Yuki’s mouth deftly, and only when the writer was boneless and panting did he release his mouth and draw back, his grin wicked and hot. “Feel better?” Yuki’s eyes fluttered open, and he blinked up at his lover slowly, his lips slightly swollen, expression still a bit dazed, “What?” Kyo threw his head back and laughed, the sound ringing out full and carefree.

It had the effect of shaking Yuki out of his daze, and indignant silver eyes narrowed up at the ginger, a finger poking him in the chest as he snapped at him, “You did that on purpose. Stop laughing.” Yuki’s expression softened, however, at the thought that Kyo had indeed quelled his anxiety rather effectively, and he tugged the ginger down for another light kiss before continuing, “Yes, I do feel better. Thank you.” Kyo smiled down at him, lifting one hand to slide his fingers through Yuki’s hair tenderly as he answered, “Good, then let’s get going. They’re gonna love you. I promise.” He released Yuki and followed him out, waiting on him to lock the front door before taking his hand starting off for Tohru and Momiji’s place. They had left enough time to walk rather than taking the bus, not wanting to feel rushed or crowded.

They arrived with a few minutes to spare, and Kyo knocked and only had seconds to wait before Momiji appeared and yanked the door open. The blonde was all smiles as he gestured them inside excitedly, hugging first a startled Yuki and then an annoyed Kyo, who promptly rapped him on the head with his knuckles before rolling his eyes and shaking his head. His cousin would never change. Momiji greeted them both warmly before yelling over his shoulder to Tohru that they’d arrived, then turned back to them as he showed them into the living room still chattering animatedly, “You’re the first to arrive. We’re still waiting on Uo-chan and Hana-chan. Yuki, I’m so happy you’re here! Tohru’s been in a tizzy all morning, but she’d only let me help with the little things. Lunch is nearly ready. How’ve you both been? How was last weekend?” A muscle in Kyo’s jaw twitched as they all sat down in the living room, he and Yuki on the couch, Momiji in an armchair to one side. He prayed silently for patience and proceeded to answer Momiji’s questions in the order they were asked. His nerves calmed when Tohru popped in from the kitchen to greet them both with a brilliant smile and chat for a few minutes before vanishing again to put the finishing touches on lunch.

It was then that the sharp rap of knuckles on the door sounded, and Momiji bounced up again to answer it. He greeted Hana and Uo just as happily as he had Kyo and Yuki. Hana smiled politely and told him she hoped he had pleasant waves, while Uo laughed and asked him how his last trip abroad had been. The blonde led them into the living room, chattering a mile a minute and only paused for breath before introducing them to the couple on the couch. Yuki blushed lightly as he exchanged a more formal hello with Hanajima, but Uo grinned as openly as Momiji and inclined her head at him and spoke, “About time Carrot-Top here brought you over. Tohru’s been bubbling over about how happy he’s been lately, so welcome to the gang. If she likes you, then you’re alright by me.” He stammered out a thanks with a weak smile just as Tohru burst into the room and started hugging Uo and Hana and telling everyone that lunch was ready and they could all move to the dining room.

Kyo laced his fingers through Yuki’s and walked with him to the dining room that was open to the kitchen. Tohru and Momiji had a Japanese style dining table, so everyone sank down onto cushions at the low table as Tohru laid out the meal with an exuberant Momiji helping bring things back and forth from the other room. Once everything was laid out and everyone was served, Tohru plopped down next to her husband and across from Yuki and Kyo, her smile radiant as she spoke, “I’m so happy you’re here, Yuki-kun! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you at the cafe, so I’m glad you could join us. I know Momiji introduced Uo-chan and Hana-chan, but I’m just so excited for all my friends to finally meet each other!” She beamed at him and Kyo, then Hana and Uo in turn. Kyo nudged him with his elbow, and Yuki forcefully shoved his insecurity to the back of his mind and turned on the charm.

The writer smiled warmly at Tohru and replied, “Yes, it was so kind of you to invite me and to make this wonderful lunch, so thank you Tohru-san.” Yuki turned toward Uo and Hana and continued, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you both. Kyo’s said such interesting things about you.” At that Uo barked a laugh and grinned at Yuki in a knowing way. “Interesting, huh? You mean he called me a Yankee and said something about Saki’s abilities. It’s true, though. I ran with a rough crowd when I was younger. It was Tohru’s mom who set me straight! And Tohru, of course. I can never repay her for sticking by me all those years. She’s an angel.” Hanajima smiled a rather mysterious smile and chimed in with, “Yes, our Tohru is very precious indeed. She’s spoken quite highly of you, as has Kyo.” The conversation continued after that with each person sharing casual anecdotes about themselves as they ate, each praising Tohru’s cooking at different points throughout the meal. When everyone was finished Tohru got up and started to take the dishes to the kitchen. Kyo offered to help and firmly brushed aside Tohru’s flailing that he was a guest and there was no need.

Yuki found himself surrounded by three pairs of inquisitive eyes and was promptly inundated with demands for more information about himself, how he and Kyo met, and how things were going. Floundering for a moment and cursing Kyo silently for leaving him alone, he dredged up a smile and told them about his brother, skirted the topic of his parents, explained that he was a freelance writer, and told them the story of how he and Kyo met, omitting the break room portion. Some things were just private. They listened with avid interest, interjecting comments here and there, and when he was finished Yuki found himself asking after the three of them. He learned that Momiji was taking some time off of touring to spend more time at home with Tohru and that Uo and Hana were actually a couple, though neither of them had admitted their feelings to the other until after graduation. He slowly started to relax and found he was actually enjoying himself when Kyo and Tohru returned with dessert. They served everyone and sat back down in their respective places.

Kyo glanced over at Yuki with raised eyebrows and a head tilt. Yuki gave him a mock exasperated look, then smiled and shook his head before leaning his shoulder against the ginger’s lightly. Kyo grinned and pressed back in a comforting gesture before starting on his dessert and looking over to answer a jibe Uo threw his way with a playful quip of his own. The group settled into a comfortable back and forth over tea and dessert, and none of them even noticed the passage of time until Momiji glanced over when the clock chimed and exclaimed at the fact that they’d been talking for nearly three hours. Kyo groaned and cracked his back, rotating his shoulders as he stood and helped Yuki do the same. Momiji helped Tohru clear away the dessert dishes, and then they all migrated to the living room for the gathering of coats and goodbyes. Uo and Hana were the first to depart after the round of hugs and farewells. Tohru managed to corner Kyo while Momiji chattered at Yuki and murmured to him in a low voice, “So Kyo-kun, I think it went really well. Hana-chan said Yuki was very clever, and Uo-chan..umm, well, she said she was surprised that you ‘nailed such a hot babe’ is how she put it, I think.” She blushed furiously at this last comment but felt compelled to relay everything truthfully.

He choked out a laugh and ran a hand through his hair, head shaking before he responded, “She friggin’ would, damn Yankee. But yeah, I think Yuki had a good time. And thanks again for hosting and making lunch. It was great, Tohru.” She waved her hands dismissively, beaming up at him and replying, “It was really no trouble at all! I was happy to help, and it’s always nice to have everyone over for a visit. Kyo-kun..I’m just so glad that you’ve found someone special. You both seem really happy, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.” Her voice was soft on that last bit, and she took his hand in hers, patting it gently and smiling up at him in that way she had. He blushed and ducked his head a bit but gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return and nodded. “I..I am, y’know. Happy, I mean. So..so you don’t have to worry about me or anything.” Her answering nod and smile were so bright he thought he might go blind. Momiji chose that moment to interrupt with something, and Kyo went to stand with Yuki as they gathered their things and say their goodbyes. They promised to do this again soon and were shortly on their way out the door.

Kyo walked Yuki home, and they talked about the visit and how it had gone so well on the way. “See? I told you. Nothing to worry about.” The ginger grinned over at Yuki, who eyed him sideways before sighing and nodding in agreement. The writer linked his arm through Kyo’s and said, “Yes, well it was no thanks to you for _abandoning me_ with Momiji and two virtual strangers, who then proceeded to grill me about us. I told them you drool in your sleep, by the way. You’re welcome.” Yuki flashed Kyo a shameless smile as he awaited the eruption. The taller man halted mid-stride, spluttering, “You..you..! I’m gonna make you pay for that later. Just you wait.” He narrowed his eyes at his boyfriend and poked him in the side before resuming their sedate pace down the sidewalk. Yuki looked entirely unfazed and merely laughed at him and changed the subject. Before long they’d made it to Yuki’s door, and Kyo lingered a moment, claiming a deep kiss and a promise to see the writer in a few days when they planned on having dinner at the ginger’s place. Smiling to himself, he sauntered off to the bus stop, thinking of what he might do to his lover later on in revenge for the drool comment. It was sure to be enjoyable for them both, but he wasn’t about to let Yuki know that. No, best let him wait and wonder...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit shorter than the last one, but never fear. I have a plan already for the next, and there will be more fluff..and a bit of smut coming soon to an archive near you. Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo has a surprise for Yuki and invites him over to his place for lunch one day to give it to him. Things get a bit emotional and a bit heated, but what else is new when it comes to two awkward boys in love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to SharkFairy77 for requesting the form the smut scene took. Oh, and that's everyone's fair warning that this is another mature chapter. Cheers!

Kyo ran his hands through his hair and checked the clock on the wall for the third time in the past five minutes. It was nearly noon on Saturday, and Yuki was coming over for lunch. He’d made them bentos from scratch and currently had them packed neatly and sitting on the counter as he paced in his kitchen. He’d been caught flat-footed in his last relationship, but he’d vowed that he wasn’t going to let that happen with Yuki. They had been officially dating for three months now, and while he’d been nervous to let two months go by without any kind of fanfare he’d held out until they were most of the way through March. It would be spring soon, and this played into his plans. Chewing his bottom lip, he glanced over at the clock yet again and startled badly enough to bite his lip when a sharp knock rapped against the front door, signalling his lover’s arrival. Cursing and whirling toward the noise, he reached up absently and touched his lip, then glanced down to see if he’d drawn blood. Finding none, he muttered to himself and hurried through the living room to open the door and welcome Yuki inside.

Yuki smiled up at him as he stepped inside and slid his shoes off, then closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Kyo’s waist. Leaning up, the writer kissed him long and slow before rocking back on his heels and meeting the other man’s gaze, which had gone from nervous to heated in a matter of seconds. “Hey, I missed you. What’d you make me?” Yuki said pertly, smirking up at him, utterly shameless. Kyo huffed a laugh and gripped Yuki’s slender hips, tugging him flush to his body and leaning down to kiss him back. He took his time, nibbling on the other man’s lush lower lip before pulling it into his mouth and sucking gently. When he had him flushed and breathless, Kyo released his lip with a wet pop and grinned down at him as he replied, tone tinged with amusement, “Missed you, too, Princess. I made bentos. I thought we might eat outside today. It’s nice out, and I wanna show you somethin’. So go ahead and put your shoes back on.” 

Yuki’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the nickname, but he perked up almost instantly when Kyo said he had something to show him. He slid his shoes back on and followed Kyo into the kitchen, where he picked up the bentos while Kyo grabbed them bottles of water out of the fridge and made for the back door. “What is it? You didn’t say anything about it when we made plans earlier this week.” His voice was tinged with curiosity as Kyo slid on his shoes and turned toward him after opening the door partway, making Yuki pause and blink up at his boyfriend for stopping rather than going outside. Kyo was worrying his lower lip with his teeth again, and he looked down at Yuki, his anxiety returning. He cleared his throat, his tone uncertain when he spoke, “Would..would you close your eyes? I want it to be a surprise.” He freed up a hand and offered it to Yuki, indicating that he’d lead him out.

The request caught the writer completely off guard, and he looked up at Kyo, nonplussed. After a moment of slow consideration, he hummed thoughtfully and closed his eyes, putting his free hand in Kyo’s, “I’m dying to know what you’re up to now, but I trust you.” Kyo felt a rush of warmth in his chest at those words, and he bumped the door the rest of the way open with his foot before carefully leading Yuki out and wrangling it shut behind them. Pulling his lover slowly into the yard, he led him to a blanket he’d already spread out on the grass and set the bottles of water down before taking the bentos and putting them down, too. Guiding the writer into a sitting position on the blanket, he sank down next to him and watched Yuki’s face intently as he let out a slow breath and told him he could open his eyes.

Yuki’s eyes snapped open, and he swept his gaze over the back yard. It was quite large and open to the woods, which bordered the edge of Kyo’s property line. His attention snagged on a new addition to the space since the last time he’d been out here, which was several weeks ago at least. He gasped at what he found, for a large portion of the back left corner of the yard had been sectioned off and tilled into neat rows for planting a garden. His head whipped around to Kyo, eyes a bit wide. “What did you do? Is that..for me?” Kyo dropped his gaze to the blanket, one hand going to the back of his neck in an anxious gesture. After a minute of silence as he fumbled for an answer, he dared a glance at Yuki’s face as he responded, “Well yeah. I know you like gardening, and I..I figured we could..maybe do it together. Plant stuff out here. I bought some seeds and fertilizer and stuff, but if it’s wrong we can take it back and you can show me what to g—” He was cut off mid-sentence when Yuki came flying at him from across the blanket.

The writer had thrown himself at Kyo, causing him to fall flat on his back with the slender man slung across his chest, arms wrapped tightly around him. Silver eyes shining with what looked suspiciously like tears, Yuki buried his face in the crook of Kyo’s neck and spoke in a rush, “How are you so..so..god!” Unable to find the words to express what he was thinking, he closed his mouth and lifted his head, looking down at Kyo and searching his face for long moment before continuing, “What prompted this? Not that I don’t love it, but I want to understand you properly.” Kyo flushed as he met Yuki’s gaze and reached up to trace the edges of his lover’s face with his fingertips, one arm wrapping around his waist as he did so. When he answered his voice was soft, “Happy anniversary.” Yuki blinked in surprise, his brow furrowing a little in confusion. “Kyo, we’ve only been dating for three months. Which I’m ecstatic about, don’t get me wrong. I just..wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

Kyo’s face shuttered, and he released the smaller man, twisting his body sideways in an attempt to move away. When Yuki wouldn’t let go, he just went still, muscles tensed as he laid there in silence. The writer’s expression shifted from confusion to alarm, and he clung to the other man and tilted his head down, trying to get Kyo to look at him. “Talk to me, love. Please? Kyo, tell me what’s going on in your head right now.” Kyo swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, head still bent, hair falling across his face to give him a partial shield to hide behind. When he could bring himself to respond, his voice was hoarse with suppressed emotion, “I thought you’d be happy. I want..wanted to make you happy, but I got it wrong. I always..do the wrong thing.” He covered his face with his hands then, shoulders hunching tightly.

Truly unnerved now, Yuki released Kyo’s waist to reach up and gently pry his hands away from his face. Smoothing Kyo’s hair back from his eyes, he cradled his face in his hands and touched his forehead to the other man’s, his voice careful and soft, “Kyo, I am happy. I was so incredibly touched that you’d do all that for me. That you thought of what I liked and wanted to make something that was _ours_ together. Listen to me. You didn’t do anything wrong. That’s not what I meant at all. I need you to help me understand why this is upsetting you so much.” There was no reaction for a long minute, and Yuki almost started to say something else to try to get something out of him when Kyo took a shuddering breath and reached up to grip Yuki’s wrists lightly. The writer watched his face closely, waiting for him to respond.

After a few more seconds of tense silence, Kyo spoke, voice still rough and hushed to match Yuki’s softer tone, “The last guy I dated—” a pause to clear his throat and try again, “—he broke up with me after two months because I didn’t do anything for our ‘anniversary’. Part of me always thought that he was just crazy, but then we got together and.. I don’t know. I got scared. I love you so much it fucking terrifies me, and the thought that you might leave me too..I just couldn’t take that chance. So I came up with the idea for the garden. But then when you said it’d only been three months I panicked and went the opposite direction, afraid that you’d think I was weird and clingy. I can’t..I can’t lose you, Yuki.” Orange eyes slid open to bore into the silver ones a mere inch away, and Kyo’s grip tightened incrementally on Yuki’s wrists.

The writer’s face shifted from concern to incredulity to settle on tender, and he met Kyo’s gaze evenly, fingers threading into Kyo’s hair as he pressed a kiss to his mouth, only shifting his face back far enough to murmur a reply, forehead still touching the other man’s. “That guy _was_ crazy. And an asshole. You are **not** clingy or weird or any such thing. You’re warm and thoughtful, and you make me so happy I don’t know what I possibly could’ve done to deserve you. I love you, Kyo. You’re not going to lose me. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. Okay?” He feathered soft kisses over Kyo’s cheeks before claiming his mouth again, this time a bit more insistent. The taller man seemed to come alive at the contact, hands switching from gripping Yuki’s wrists to grabbing his hips and rolling the other man beneath him. Both their eyes slid shut as Kyo took control of the kiss, mouth opening over Yuki’s, tongue plundering the depths of his lover’s mouth thoroughly.

Yuki made a low noise of protest at being shifted but didn’t break the kiss or try to pull away. Instead he threaded his fingers through Kyo’s hair and kissed him back hard, one leg hooking around the ginger’s calf, pulling their lower halves flush against each other. The taller man groaned into the kiss and tightened his hold on Yuki’s hips briefly before cupping his ass instead, fingers kneading through the fabric of his pants. Yuki was the first to pull back from the kiss only to tug sharply on Kyo’s hair, yanking his head back and licking a wet line up the slope of Kyo’s throat before placing an open-mouthed kiss against his pulse-point. Kyo gasped and arched into him, hips rolling against Yuki’s in an urgent quest for friction between their growing erections.

They battled playfully back and forth for the next few minutes, each exploring the other with questing hands roaming underneath clothing and nipping mouths seeking out each other’s weak spots. At one point Kyo lifted up enough to peel his shirt off and toss it aside carelessly, and Yuki took the opportunity to yank his own over his head and shove it behind him somewhere before pulling Kyo back down for another thorough kiss. The entire while their hips moved against the other’s, grinding in an almost mindless quest for pleasure as their hands and mouths sought to outdo the other. Finally Yuki had had enough and in an uncharacteristic show of aggression rolled Kyo onto his back and pinned him there, taking Kyo’s wrists in one long-fingered hand and holding them firmly above his head. His eyes glittered as they met heated orange ones, and he pressed down with his hips, distracting Kyo with just the right amount of friction as his other hand reached down between them and started undoing buttons and fasteners.

Kyo let out a strangled groan and let his head fall back, twisting slightly in Yuki’s grip without actually making an attempt to break his hold. He just couldn’t keep himself still against the onslaught of his lover’s ministrations. He knew he could’ve stopped the slender man if he wanted to, but he was intrigued by this more forceful side to the writer and wanted to see what he’d do. For his part, Yuki had their pants undone now and shoved at Kyo’s with his free hand, giving a frustrated grunt when he couldn’t quite force them down the other man’s hips in this position. With a reluctant huff, he released Kyo’s hands and sat up just enough to wriggle out of his own pants and underwear while pinning the ginger with a heated stare and ordering imperiously, “Pants off. Now.” Choking out a laugh, Kyo obeyed with an amused grin, thumbs hooking into his waistband and jerking downward, body rolling a bit as he slid out of his remaining clothing and kicked it aside. He spoke next, his tone bubbling with mirth, “Hmm..I think I like bossy Yuki. What now?”

Yuki’s response was biting, voice deepening with need, “Now you shut up and do what I tell you. If you’re good I’ll give you a prize.” Lips curving upward at the corners in a slow, dangerous smirk, he then leaned down and murmured in Kyo’s ear, “Touch me, Kyo.” His tongue flicked along the shell of the other man’s ear, teeth nipping the lobe before he pulled it into his mouth and sucked hard, remembering exactly how crazy that had made Kyo in the past and seeking to duplicate the results now. These instructions left plenty of room for interpretation, so Kyo took it upon himself to go slowly, hands lifting to trace the curve of Yuki’s spine, starting at the base of his skull and inching slowly downward. He moaned and tilted his head to the side to give the slender man atop him easier access to his neck, eyes sliding shut in response to the hard suck on his earlobe.

Kyo’s hips bucked involuntarily against Yuki’s, drawing a hiss of breath from the smaller man and a sharp snap of his hips in response. One hand feathered light touches against Yuki’s sides, while the other stole between their bodies and dipped low to grasp both their straining erections, fingers slicking their lengths with pre-cum to make the going easier as he started to pump them slowly. His lover released his earlobe, breath fanning along Kyo’s neck as he drew his nails across Kyo’s shoulders and down his chest before taking his nipples in between his thumbs and forefingers and rolling them sharply. This earned another ragged moan and an appreciative squeeze from the hand wrapped around their cocks. Yuki lingered on his nipples for a moment, hips thrusting against Kyo’s as he reveled in the other man’s touch.

They both lost themselves in each other for awhile, neither speaking, letting their bodies do the talking. Kyo’s hand had sped up, jerking both of them with long, tight strokes. Yuki’s breath stuttered in his chest, and he broke away from the spot he’d been sucking on Kyo’s neck to lift one hand to his lover’s mouth and tap his fingers against his lips. Pupils blown wide with desire, he stared down at Kyo and demanded in a throaty whisper, “Suck them.” Kyo wasted no time in complying, opening his mouth and leaning forward, tongue curling around the first three fingers of Yuki’s dominant hand silkily. He sucked hard, eyes locked with the other man’s, a shudder running through him as Yuki moaned and threw back his head in reaction. When the writer thought they’d been sufficiently lubricated, he tugged his fingers free from Kyo’s mouth and reached behind himself, teasing his own entrance for a moment before slowly beginning to stretch himself open, first with one, then shortly after a second finger pushing inside.

Kyo watched him in rapt fascination, the fist wrapped around their shafts slowing but not quite stopping entirely. His other hand went to Yuki’s hip to steady him, and he licked his lips, breath hitching when Yuki whimpered and added a third finger, pistoning them in and out of himself now, hips twisting with the motions as he fucked himself on his own fingers. Kyo finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse, “Fuck! Yuki, I need you..ohhh!” His voice wavered when the slender man leaned down and bit Kyo’s lower lip, effectively silencing him as he removed his fingers from himself and shoved Kyo’s hand off their cocks, taking the other’s in hand instead and positioning himself above him. Releasing Kyo’s lip after swiping his tongue along it to sooth the spot he nipped, he released a breath and pressed downward, the head of Kyo’s cock pushing past the tight ring of muscle to enter him as he slowly sank down onto his lover’s shaft.

A groan ripped from deep in his throat as Yuki took him in, and Kyo’s hands spasmed on Yuki’s hips when the slender man’s backside sat flush against his pelvis. He tensed, muscles quivering with the effort of keeping himself from moving before Yuki was ready, but he was just so tight around him, hot and almost pulsing. Kyo bit his lower lip, then hissed when he hit the same spot that Yuki had nipped just moments ago. Yuki looked contrite as the pained sound escaped Kyo, so he leaned down again to softly kiss the corner of Kyo’s mouth. Hands smoothing soft orange locks of hair away from his face gently as he met his gaze, he then placed his palms flat on Kyo’s abdomen and began moving up and down, slowly finding a rhythm. Unable to help himself, Kyo rolled his hips upward, matching Yuki’s pace as he let his hands wander from Yuki’s hips to explore the rest of his body freely. The fingers of one hand teased the slender man’s erection while the other tweaked his nipples and rolled them gently, his efforts rewarded when Yuki couldn’t suppress the noises that spilled from his lips, inarticulate cries of pleasure that Kyo soaked up and basked in.

Yuki quickened the pace then, hips snapping viciously as he grazed Kyo’s stomach with his nails. He narrowed his eyes and leaned close, voice low as he rumbled at Kyo, “If you don’t stop teasing me and touch me for real I’m going to get off you and do it myself and make you watch.” Kyo chuckled darkly and took Yuki’s straining cock in his fist, working it at the same brutal pace set by their bucking hips. He leaned up and cupped the back of Yuki’s head with his free hand, dragging him into a scorching kiss before pulling back just enough to respond, his tone amused, “That’s not much of a threat, lover. You’re so fucking sexy I could get off just watching you cum.” Yuki keened and arched into Kyo’s touch, fingers scrabbling against Kyo’s chest as he slammed down onto him again and again. Kyo gritted his teeth and shifted the angle of his hips before giving a few experimental thrusts. When Yuki started cursing and grinding against him he knew he’d found the other man’s prostate.

Grinning devilishly he pounded upward as Yuki rocked down to meet his thrusts, the writer’s head thrown back, silver eyes tightly shut, mouth open as wordless cries spilled out of him. It wasn’t long before Kyo was gasping, fingers tightening and quickening along Yuki’s length as he choked out a warning, “Yuk..Yuki, I can’t hold back much longer. Fuuuck..” The writer moaned deeply and writhed atop the taller man, sinking down and rocking his ass against Kyo’s body. His nails dug into the tanned skin of Kyo’s hips, and he gasped a reply, “I’m so fucking close. Kyo! God, baby, please..” Kyo’s eyes ignited, and he yanked Yuki down to him, kissing him fiercely as he arched into him, muscles going taut as he lost control and came, filling Yuki with his seed. The slender man’s cries were swallowed by Kyo’s mouth on his, and his own orgasm ripped through him shortly behind Kyo’s, hot thick ropes of jizz spilling over Kyo’s fist and spattering both their stomachs.

Kyo continued to kiss Yuki, the fingers of the hand cupping the back of his head stroking his hair idly as he sank back, pulling the smaller man down onto the blanket with him. Yuki moaned into the kiss, easing himself off of Kyo’s softening cock and shifting his body slightly to the side while still draping his upper half across Kyo’s chest. When they both parted for air, he laid his head on Kyo’s shoulder and traced idle patterns against the skin of his side with one hand, eyes drifting shut to just lay there and bask in the afterglow. Kyo’s voice rumbled softly as he murmured in Yuki’s ear, “So was I good enough?” The writer rolled his eyes up to Kyo’s face and took in the self-satisfied smirk. Shaking his head in exasperation, he couldn’t help but smile as he replied, his tone bemused, “Yes, more than, you insufferable bastard.” He kissed Kyo’s shoulder to take the bite out of his words and glanced over at the bentos on the other side of the blanket. “Now that we’ve worked up an appetite, I’m going to see what’s in those.”

Kyo huffed a laugh and stretched languidly as Yuki rolled off of him and sat up, scooting over to grab the lunch boxes and hand Kyo his before breaking into his own and sliding the chopsticks out of their pocket in the side of the box. Eyes lighting up when he saw all his favorites packed into the lunch, he hummed an appreciative note before digging in with relish. Kyo followed suit, folding himself into a sitting position and starting to eat as well. Grabbing the bottles of water, he placed one by Yuki’s knee before opening his and taking a gulp. The next few minutes were full of nothing but chewing, swallowing and silently contemplating their surroundings as they ate their lunch. Yuki was the first to break the silence, tapping a chopstick absently against his lip before glancing over at Kyo and speaking, “I want you to be able to talk to me about these things. Things you’re unsure of or things that bother you. I know I’m not the best at that either, but I promise to try if you do.”

He waited a moment as Kyo chewed a mouthful of rice, swallowed, and took a gulp of water before taking a deep breath and meeting Yuki’s gaze. Kyo set his bento down and smoothed his hands along his legs in a nervous gesture before finally responding, “That..yeah, that’s fair. I shouldn’t just assume stuff, and I want to know when you’re not okay, too. We’re in this together. No more surprises, I promise.” Yuki smiled at that and reached out to take one of Kyo’s hands, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. He gave Kyo an arch look and tilted his head toward the tilled patch of soil in the corner. “Well, I don’t think we have to go that far. I rather liked my surprise, thank you.” Kyo’s expression softened, and he used their linked hands to tug Yuki toward him and brush a light kiss to his mouth before pulling back and murmuring, “Good, I’m glad.” They exchanged a few more languid kisses before separating to finish up their lunches. Kyo suggested they rinse off with the hose outside, so Yuki acquiesced after shooting Kyo a skeptical look.

The taller man had his reasons, though, and after taking the bento boxes back inside, he came out with a towel and tossed it to Yuki, who patted himself dry and slid back into his pants. Kyo followed suit but left off his shirt and tugged Yuki toward the garden shed where he’d stored the things he’d gotten from a local garden shop. The writer’s eyes lit up as he went through the seeds Kyo had purchased, setting aside a few things that were out of season to save for later and suggesting a few other things they could purchase to round out the selections. Kyo smiled as he watched his lover talk, just happy to see how animated he could be when enthusiastic about something. When he proposed that they do some planting now, he was rewarded with a hearty kiss on the mouth, followed by Yuki dragging him out to the patch after grabbing some tools and the seeds he’d picked that were good for planting now. 

They spent the next hour planting seeds and exchanging banter. When they’d filled up a few rows Yuki ran back to the shed for the little labels that could be stuck in the ground and scribbled the names of what they’d planted with a permanent marker he’d found with the other supplies before trotting back over to the garden and sticking the labels in front of the appropriate rows. Kyo grinned and straightened from covering another hole with dirt, knuckling his back and gesturing at Yuki’s cheek as he closed the distance between them. “You have a smudge there, Mr. Green Thumb.” Yuki laughed at him and reached up, tapping at a similar smudge across the bridge of Kyo’s nose. “We both probably smell like farm animals. Shower?” He arched his eyebrows and smiled up at Kyo slowly. Kyo nodded vigorously and gathered up the tools they’d used while Yuki collected the seed packet trash and followed Kyo to the shed while he put things away. They both grabbed the rest of their discarded clothes and went inside.

Stripping down once they were in Kyo’s bedroom, they tossed all their things in the wash and then shared a long soak in Kyo’s tub after having scrubbed each other clean first. Yuki sighed and tilted his head back until it rested on Kyo’s shoulder. He was sitting cradled against the other man’s chest, his back to Kyo’s front. A smile curved Kyo’s mouth, and he traced idle patterns on the skin of Yuki’s stomach as they lounged there. Yuki snagged Kyo’s other hand, playing with his fingers for a minute before speaking, “I’ve been thinking, and..if you’re okay with it—” he took a deep breath before gathering the courage to continue, “—I want to introduce you to my brother.” His shoulders tensed as he waited for Kyo’s reaction. The taller man blinked, silent for a moment as he considered before answering, “I’d like that. I..I think you should meet Shishou, too. I mean, I want you to. He’s curious about you, been bugging me to bring you by for awhile now.”

Kyo blushed a bit and averted his gaze, but Yuki barely gave him the chance before he was turning around in Kyo’s arms with a splash. Straddling him, Yuki’s hands were cupping his face as he lifted the other man’s chin and looked into his eyes. “You talk about me with him?” His voice was warm and soft, something like wonder in his expression. Kyo paused then, meeting Yuki’s gaze and gauging his reaction before wrapping his arms securely around the smaller man’s waist and pulling him closer. He responded in a gentle murmur, “Of course I do. You’re the most important person in my life besides him and Tohru. Why wouldn’t I talk to my dad about the things that make me happiest?” Yuki swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat and buried his face in the crook of Kyo’s neck and shoulder, and Kyo couldn’t quite tell if the wetness on his skin was residual from his dripping hair or from something else entirely.

He just made soothing noises and stroked Yuki’s back quietly, resting his cheek against the top of the other man’s head, and if Yuki’s shoulders shook a little, well, he just let it go unmentioned. Sometimes words weren’t necessary. A bit later he roused his lover and suggested they get out of the tub before they turned into raisins. The writer choked out a laugh and agreed, and they both dried off and changed into dry clothes. Yuki had to borrow some of Kyo’s sweats and a hoodie, and this reminded both of them of that first evening at the cafe. A pair of heated orange eyes stalked the smaller man, and Kyo cornered him between the bed and his dresser. Stripping Yuki of everything but the hoodie, he tossed him down onto the mattress and pinned him there.

Yuki looked up at him, eyes wide, face flushed, and hair in wild disarray, still slightly damp from their bath. Kyo made a low, choking sound deep in his throat and peeled off the t-shirt he’d thrown on after he’d dried off. Crawling onto the bed and looming above Yuki, he reached down and traced a finger along the curve of his lover’s jaw before dipping down to his neck and lingering at the base of his throat as he met Yuki’s gaze, eyes dilated and molten with need. “We’re gonna need another bath after all.” His voice was harsh and low, and it made Yuki shudder in reaction as Kyo leaned down and kissed him, the taller man’s hands on him a bit rougher than usual, almost..possessive. He kind of liked it. They didn’t leave the bed for a very long time, and Kyo was correct. When they finally did they absolutely needed another bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter took me completely by surprise if I'm being honest with everyone. I had an idea all outlined for 9, which was them meeting each other's families (as they discuss with each other near the end of this unplanned..thing). Sooo..you got some unscheduled smut and fluff. You're welcome, I guess. >..>;


	10. Family Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyo and Yuki are meeting each other's family members. Will Kyo be overwhelmed by Ayame's over-the-top personality? Will Yuki be too shy to properly open up to Kyo's dad? And what devious little plan does Kyo have when Yuki gets to the dojo...? ;D

Kyo stopped dead when he saw the display window in front of Ayame’s shop. Two mannequins graced the display, one seated at a table on which sat an elaborate tea set. It was wearing one of the frilliest dresses Kyo had ever seen in his life in a pale green, and the other mannequin was in a maid outfit, complete with crisp white cap and apron. The maid-equin was posed to pour the tea. All in all, it was a very clever display, but Kyo was rather confused because the mannequins were rather tall and broad of shoulder. All Yuki had told him was that his brother was a clothing designer who not only ran his own shop but had also launched his own clothing line. Much to his disapproving parents’ chagrin it had been a raging success, though Kyo also wasn’t quite sure exactly _why_ they’d be so displeased besides the fact that he was into fashion rather than a lawyer or something else they deemed respectable.

Yuki looked over his shoulder and paused, waiting for Kyo to catch up to him. When his boyfriend was a few steps away, he started talking, voice pitched so only the two of them would hear, “Okay, fair warning. I’ve kept my brother on a pretty low information diet when it comes to us. I think you’ll understand why once you meet him, but I just want you to know it isn’t because I don’t want him to know about you. I really do. It’s just..remember how nervous I was about my friends? Multiply that by like a million, and you might approach the range of introducing you to Ayame.” He shifted from foot to foot for a minute before reaching out and taking Kyo’s hand, lacing their fingers together and looking up at him expectantly. “I told you his wife is going to be there, too, right? Her name’s Mine. She’s also his business partner and basically keeps his life from falling apart when all he’d do otherwise is design and sew and annoy me and his friends on the phone.”

Kyo snorted a laugh and nodded, giving Yuki’s hand a light squeeze before tugging him along the sidewalk as he resumed walking toward the entrance. “So..kind of like Kakeru and Maki, just dialed to eleven? Got it. And hey, don’t worry about it. I know you’re not ashamed of us. I get not wanting to tell some people every little thing. His thumb stroked over Yuki’s knuckles in a comforting gesture as they made it to the entrance. Yuki shot him a grateful smile before digging out his keys and inserting one into the lock. Ayame had told him to come on through the shop and join him and Mine upstairs since they lived in an apartment above the store. He looked around in mild curiosity, eyes widening at some of the outfits on display as Yuki led him through the store and through a curtained off area to a door that led to a stairway heading to the second floor.

Yelling that they were coming up, Yuki bumped the door shut and led Kyo up the stairs and paused on the threshold to remove his shoes in the foyer. Mine popped her head around the corner from the kitchen and waved cheerfully, “Welcome, Yuki and Kyo-kun! It’s lovely to meet you! I’ve nearly got tea ready. I made scones! I hope you like apple jelly.” Beaming at them, she waved toward the dining room and disappeared back into the kitchen. Yuki took in Kyo’s stunned look and smirked before pulling him into the dining room and settling them both at the low table. The taller man murmured softly in Yuki’s ear once they’d sat down, “Was that a maid outfit..in pink?” Yuki bit the corners of his lips to keep from laughing and nodded. He heard footsteps coming from the direction of the bedroom and braced himself as his brother approached.

Ayame crossed into the main living area from the hallway that lead to the bedroom and halted mid-step. He’d been about to call to Mine about something, but the thought flew completely out of his head as he took in the fact that their guests had already arrived. The surprise lasted all of five seconds before he was shooting across the room to envelope Yuki in a very enthusiastic hug, which Yuki managed to turn about halfway toward him to receive one-armed, a look of long-suffering on his face. Ayame started talking almost before he’d made it across the room in a nonstop stream of animated chatter, “Yuki! My dear little brother, come to visit me at last! It’s been too long since I’ve seen your beloved face. And you’ve brought your beau!” Ayame released Yuki and almost went to hug Kyo with the same amount of joy he’d received his brother, but Yuki grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. 

Meanwhile, Aya never even paused for breath as he settled beside Yuki with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I say, he’s just as handsome as I imagined. Kyo-kun, isn’t it? Oh but, we simply must address each other as family! I know! Kyonkichi, you may call me On—” but he was interrupted by Yuki clamping a hand over his mouth and looking fit for murder. The writer gritted his teeth and interjected, “Ni-san, that’s enough. Now, how have Mine and you been? Are things going well with the new line?” He released Aya with a warning look and sat back, taking Kyo’s hand again out of a need for his own comfort more-so than his boyfriend’s. Kyo’s eyes had widened at the attempted hug, and his face had gone a bit red at the nickname. When Yuki had clapped a hand over Ayame’s mouth, however he’d had to clear his throat to hide a snort of laughter and offered the older man a nod of greeting.

Latching onto the subject change with no apparent ill will, Ayame proceeded to regale them with the latest news about his clothing line until Mine appeared from the kitchen with a full tea tray. Remembering his manners, Kyo shot to his feet and reached out to take the tray from her, “Oh here, let me help you with that.” She beamed up at him as he took the tray and went to set it on the table. When he turned back around as if to follow her when she went back for the scones she shooed him back, “You’re so sweet, but I’ve got this. I’ll be back in just a tick!” And so saying she popped back into the kitchen and came back with scones and apple jelly and butter to spread on them. Settling down on Ayame’s other side, she smiled broadly at Yuki and then Kyo in turn. “Now, why don’t you tell us all about yourself, Kyo-kun? Yuki said you two met at a coffee shop. Is that right?” So Kyo found himself recounting the story, omitting the more embarrassing parts and giving them a short rundown on himself while Mine served everyone tea and scones.

When he found himself on his second cup, he wound down, and Yuki took up the thread of relaying their history, finishing with the surprise garden from a couple weeks ago. Ayame had leaned forward eagerly at that, chin on one hand and a soft smile curving his lips. He spoke up after Yuki finished, practically gushing, “What a romantic gesture, Kyonkichi! Oh Yuki, you really should keep him! He’s simply precious. Isn’t he, darling?” He turned to Mine for confirmation, who smiled at him and patted his hand with patient affection. She replied, “Of course, dear. It was a lovely gesture.” She flashed Kyo an approving smile before inquiring if anyone needed a refill of their tea. The conversation moved along to more casual talk after that, both Mine and occasionally Yuki reining in Aya whenever he’d go off on a tangent. 

Yuki would glance over at Kyo every now and then to gauge his reaction to everything so far, and the martial artist seemed to be holding his own. He’d only blushed and stammered a couple of times when recounting a story of one of their dates, and he’d managed not to choke on his scone when Ayame launched into a story of Yuki dressed in one of his creations when he’d first started making clothes. Kyo hadn’t quite been able to stem his laughter fast enough to assuage his boyfriend’s wrath, and Yuki had shot him a glare that promised retribution later. Kyo grinned at him and leaned in close to whisper in his ear while Ayame was distracted by Mine serving him another scone, “I think hearing that story counts as payback for you telling people I drool in my sleep. I’d pay good money to see you in one of those get-ups, though.”

The writer hissed at him softly in response, “I’m going to hurt you when we get out of here.” Yuki’s expression shifted smoothly into a polite smile when Mine offered him another scone also, and he straightened and accepted graciously, seamlessly inserting himself back into the conversation with her and his brother. They traded more stories of each other growing up, though Yuki glared daggers at Ayame if he started in on anything as embarrassing as the dress-up story. Before they knew it a good portion of the afternoon had flashed by and Kyo and Yuki were getting up and making their excuses to leave. Ayame leapt to his feet and pulled Yuki into a hug, exclaiming, “Oh little brother, this has been a marvelous visit! You must come back soon and bring Kyonkichi with you! Why, I still haven’t told him about the time you—” Yuki cut him off abruptly, plucking a scone off the table and stuffing it in his brother’s mouth before calmly turning to Mine and taking her hands in an affectionate gesture. “Mine, we had a lovely time. Thank you so much for the tea and scones. They were delicious.”

Kyo had to pretend to cough into his hand to mask his snort of laughter, but it wasn’t terribly convincing. Once Ayame had managed to chew the scone without choking and taken a few sips of tea to clear his throat he made his move on Kyo while Yuki was distracted with Mine. Throwing one arm around Kyo’s shoulders, he beamed down at him and spoke in a stage whisper that utterly failed at being circumspect at all, “Kyonkichi, I noticed your interest in my story about my dear brother modeling my creations! If you’d like I would be more than happy to gift you any of the items you see downstairs. Oh! Or we could do a custom order especially for Yuki! I have so many ideas!” Kyo went red at the mere suggestion and sputtered, at a loss for words when Yuki’s head whipped around, and he stalked over and yanked on Ayame’s arm, dragging him off with a clipped, “I’m just going to borrow him for a minute.”

The brothers vanished down the hallway for a moment, and both Kyo and Mine looked at each other and then toward the hall with raised eyebrows as a muted back and forth was followed by a thud and a serene-looking Yuki striding back into the room. “Mine, I’m afraid Ni-san has come down with a headache. You might want to check in on him. We’ll just see ourselves out. Thank you again for the tea. We’ll visit again soon.” Kyo blinked at him, made a hasty goodbye to Mine, and she waved them off cheerfully before going to see to her spouse who was probably sporting a new knot on his head courtesy of his little brother’s temper. She shook her head and smiled. As much as she loved Aya’s enthusiasm he did tend to bring these things upon himself. The brothers loved each other despite their differences, and that was really all that mattered.

~~

Yuki’s mask of calm was firmly in place, but on the inside he was a mess of nerves. He was finally meeting Kyo’s adoptive father today, and he’d just stepped into the dojo. The tail end of a class was taking place, and Kyo was at the front, leading a group of younger students through a series of moves. An older man with kind eyes and his long brown hair gathered in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck stood off to one side, observing silently. Yuki instantly knew that this must be the man Kyo still affectionately referred to as Shishou. He took the opportunity to study him briefly before letting his gaze revert to Kyo and the students. It was interesting to finally get a chance to see Kyo in his element, and Yuki felt himself smiling just the tiniest bit as his boyfriend broke off from the front and went down the rows of students, taking the time to correct stances and compliment those doing particularly well. Kyo resumed his position at the front of the class and called the students’ attention back to him to make a few announcements and dismiss them at the end of the lesson.

Kyo caught Yuki’s gaze and flashed him a grin as the students filed into the changing rooms to grab their things and disperse as parents picked them up from their lesson. He beckoned for the writer to join him, so Yuki took a deep breath and crossed the room to stand beside Kyo. A knowing expression flickered across the taller man’s face as Kyo reached out and gently tucked a lock of Yuki’s hair behind his ear, drawing close and murmuring in a voice only meant for the two of them, “Stop worrying. And before you ask, no it’s not showing. I just know you. He’s gonna love you.” Straightening and stepping back a bit, he turned toward his adoptive father and tugged Yuki forward by the elbow. “Shishou, this is Yuki. Yuki, this is Shishou.” The older man stepped forward and spared an amused glance at his son before bowing slightly to Yuki, who flushed pink in embarrassment and returned the gesture politely. He took over the task of introducing himself since Kyo’s was woefully brief. “I’m Kazuma Sohma, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Yuki. May I call you that? Kyo has spoken quite highly of you.”

Yuki nodded at once, slightly overwhelmed in the moment but hoping to make a good impression. This man was hugely important to Kyo, and it meant a lot to Yuki to know that his boyfriend had already made an effort on his behalf. “Of course, Sensei, please. It’s an honor to meet you. He’s told me about you and about your dojo, of course. Thank you for having me.” He fidgeted in place, and Kyo blew an exasperated breath and rolled his eyes heavenward at both of them. The brash tone his boyfriend took was utterly Kyo as he broke the tension with his characteristic lack of decorum, “You two talk like a bunch of old ladies, I swear. Shishou, Yuki took lessons when he was younger. Maybe you know his teacher. Yuki, tell him where you learned.” The writer shot him a vexed look before turning back to Kazuma and taking up the thread of the conversation. He told him the name of his teacher but stressed that it had been a long time ago, and that he’d not continued training into adulthood. Kazuma nodded in understanding before replying, “Some students are like that. They get what they need at the time but find that continued instruction isn’t for them, which is fine.”

Kyo’s face lit up with an idea as he listened to the two of them talking, and his gaze slid sideways towards Yuki, a grin slowly curving his lips. When his adoptive father was finished speaking, he cocked his head toward the mats in the center of the room and addressed his boyfriend, “Why don’t we see how much you remember, huh? Friendly bout between the two of us?” He arched his eyebrows at Yuki and waited for a response. Yuki’s expression became guarded, and he eyed Kyo as he considered before speaking, “I don’t know, Kyo. It’s been years. I really don’t think—” But Kyo cut him off before he could finish, his tone taunting, “Aw, c’mon Yuki, you’re not scared, are you?” The writer’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth flattened into a hard line. Yuki watched Kyo for a moment, gaze turning calculating as he replied, “You wish. But since you seem so sure of yourself care to wager on it? Loser owes the winner a favor of their choosing.” Kyo’s nostrils flared, and he clenched a fist, anticipation tightening the muscles in his shoulders as his grin turned predatory. “Oh, you’re on. I can’t wait to call in that favor.” He moved to the center of the room and took a stance, waiting until Yuki followed and positioned himself across from and gave a little nod to indicate that he was ready.

When his boyfriend nodded, Kyo launched himself forward, energy coiling in his body like a spring, propelling him toward his target in a blinding rush of speed and power. It was impressive in its ferocity and held a wild beauty, much like Kyo himself. What was equally impressive and also wholly unexpected was Yuki’s response. The slender body curved out of the way with a lithe grace, and just as quick Yuki turned with Kyo, hooking a leg in one of his and tumbling him neatly to the floor as his hands grasped one of Kyo’s arms at the wrist and elbow in a locking hold. Shock buzzed through Kyo like a burst of lightning, and his eyes widened in reaction. It didn’t take long for surprise to turn into outraged indignation as he realized he’d been tricked. With a growl, he jerked around to glare up at Yuki, only to be stopped short with a pained gasp as the movement tugged his arm sharply in the other man’s uncompromising grip. A playful smirk curved the corners of Yuki’s mouth upward ever so slightly, and he leaned down to murmur in Kyo’s ear, “I may have forgotten to mention that while I haven’t taken lessons in years I do still keep up with what I _did_ learn. It’s good exercise, after all.” 

Message delivered, Yuki released Kyo and stepped back, arms raised and hands up, fingers spread wide in a placating gesture as he moved away. The smirk remained, however, and he couldn’t quite keep the amusement from dancing in the depths of his eyes at his lover’s expense. Thoroughly put out, Kyo stood quickly and shook out his arm, his pouting taking the form of a fierce scowl as he spat out a reply, “You cheated! Best two out of three!” Yuki’s eyebrows shot up, and he huffed a laugh as he considered the demand. Tilting his head slightly to one side, he watched Kyo move back into a stance and continue to glare at him for a moment before acquiescing with a silkily voiced, “Well, if you haven’t had enough of being tossed on the floor, by all means. Best two out of three, then.” Before the words had even completely left his mouth Kyo was moving again, a fist barreling toward his face. Yuki snapped his head back and out of the way just in time before sliding to the side and responding with a punch of his own that Kyo blocked with his forearm.

They both grinned at each other and then the dance began in earnest, trading blows back and forth, kicks and punches blocked and avoided with deft movements from each of them. Kazuma watched them from the sidelines, calm and assessing, arms folded into the sleeves of his yukata. His eyes followed them as they circled the length and breadth of the mats, and the conclusion he drew was that Yuki had indeed downplayed his own skill. Perhaps he could get Kyo to convince him to come by more often, maybe brush up on new techniques. It would be a way for them to bond, and Kazuma always enjoyed seeing his son as carefree and happy as he was in moments like this. Because Kyo _was_ happy, even in his outrage moments ago there had still been a spark of joy at the challenge. Even if his hot-headed nature wouldn’t allow him to admit it aloud, of course. Eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled, he pulled his mind back to the present just in time to see Yuki land a kick that sent Kyo sprawling. The slender, pale young man tossed his head confidently and called out to Kyo in a smug tone, “That’s two. Had enough yet?” His son yowled in rage and leapt back to his feet, and the two crashed together a third time. Shaking his head slightly, Kazuma waited for the inevitable now that Kyo had thoroughly lost his temper.

It wasn’t long before it happened. When Kyo got mad his control slipped, and he started to get sloppy. Yuki was perfectly aware of this and only felt slightly remorseful at the blatant jibe he’d thrown Kyo’s way in order to provoke him into doing just that. This time when Kyo hurtled toward him Yuki used his own momentum against him and reached out, hooking an arm over Kyo’s shoulder and pivoting into him, tossing him neatly over his hip. Kyo landed squarely on his back with an audible thud, the wind momentarily knocked out of him. Yuki knelt on the mat by Kyo’s head and waited for him to catch his breath before leaning over him, his amused silver eyes meeting molten orange ones. Lowering his voice to a husky whisper, he couldn’t resist one last taunt at Kyo’s expense, dipping close enough that his words feathered against Kyo’s lips as his mouth moved against the other man’s, “That’s 0 for 3, lover. I hope you’re prepared for what I’m going to ask for when I call in my favor.” A slow, wicked smile ghosted across his face before he straightened and stood up, offering Kyo a hand. Kyo’s scowl faltered a bit at the feel of Yuki’s mouth on his, and those words held an ominous sort of promise to them that made a shiver crawl along his spine. He took Yuki’s offered hand and got to his feet with a huff and a wordless grumble before they both crossed back to join Kazuma at the front of the room.

“That was quite the display you two. Now, shall we give Yuki a proper tour and have some tea, perhaps?” Kazuma smiled down at the two young men, and Kyo flushed and muttered an apology as Yuki nodded politely. They proceeded to move through the rest of the dojo, and Yuki took it all in with avid interest, chatting with Kazuma about his classes. Eventually he was introduced to the man’s assistant Kunimitsu, who was quite pleasant and served them all tea in Kazuma’s office. As the three of them settled in with their cups, Kunimitsu having politely declined the invitation to join them, the conversation shifted to focus on Yuki. Kazuma asked him about his work, his hobbies, and then carefully, lightly, about his family. The writer happily chatted about his blog and freelancing, gushed about the garden Kyo had gifted him, and only stumbled for a moment at the mention of his family before his face smoothed out again and he gave a cursory explanation about his parents before moving on to a more thorough, not to mention more enthusiastic, description of his brother and cousins he was closest to. Kazuma nodded throughout, ever the attentive host. When it was Yuki’s turn to pick a topic he immediately began pumping Kazuma for stories about Kyo as a child. This of course earned a steady stream of protest from Kyo, who was only quelled by a steady look from his father.

Huffing, Kyo muttered something unintelligible under his breath before crossing his arms and slouching lower in his chair. Yuki glanced over at him and smirked at his sulking, which earned his boyfriend a fierce scowl. Shaking his head slightly, Yuki’s expression softened, and he mouthed _Love you_ silently before returning his full attention to Kazuma and the current story he was telling about the time Kyo jumped from a classroom window to escape a mob of girls that were flirting with him in high school. “That was a phone call from the principal I’ll never quite forget, I’m sure,” Kazuma laughed and shook his head ruefully, “He’s always been a bit reckless, my son, but he has a kind heart.” Yuki’s smile was soft as he looked back over at Kyo, catching his gaze again and holding it this time as he replied. “Yes, he does.” Kyo’s neck and ears flushed red in embarrassment, and he swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat. He uncrossed his arms and picked up his cup, downing the remainder in it before setting it back down and mumbling a response, “Yeah, yeah, are you two done rakin’ me over the coals yet? Good. Now this has been great, Shishou, but we should get going. It’s getting late, and you have that check-up tomorrow. Don’t forget to call me when you’re done!”

The older man smiled warmly at his prickly son and nodded amicably as he replied, “Of course. I won’t forget.” They all stood up and made their way to the entrance to the dojo. Kazuma turned to Yuki as the younger man was slipping his shoes back on. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Yuki. I do hope you’ll come visit again soon.” Yuki straightened and turned back toward Kazuma, a small smile forming at the invitation. “It was nice to meet you, Sensei. I definitely will. I’d love to hear more stories about Kyo. The more embarrassing the better.” At that Kazuma chuckled and nodded. Kyo, however, shot them both a glare and hooked Yuki by the elbow, dragging him to the door, his farewell to Kazuma uttered through gritted teeth, “Bye, Shishou. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” With that he pulled Yuki through the doorway and started off down the sidewalk toward the main road. The writer dug his heels in and yanked Kyo to a stop halfway down the walkway, frowning fiercely at him.

Yuki blew out a breath and rounded on Kyo, grasping him by the shoulders and forcing him to meet his gaze. “Kyo, that was rude. You didn’t even give me a chance to say goodbye properly. I’m sorry we teased you, but was that really necessary?” He fell silent then, watching the other man and waiting for him to gather himself. Kyo sighed and closed his eyes briefly, hands reaching out to settle on Yuki’s hips, grounding himself as he got his temper back in check. The martial artist’s eyes opened again, and when he responded his voice was more even, perhaps even a tad contrite, “Probably not, but you were both havin’ fun yankin’ my chain for most of the afternoon, and I guess I reached my limit. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bundled you outta there like that. I’ll apologize to Shishou tomorrow.” Yuki sighed and nodded before leaning up and brushing his lips lightly against Kyo’s before pulling back. His thumbs stroked slow circles against Kyo’s shoulders as he spoke, “It was my fault, too. Are you coming over tonight? I could make it up to you.” At the last sentence his tone dipped low, and he looked up at Kyo through his lashes expectantly. Kyo inhaled sharply, his grip involuntarily tightening on Yuki’s hips and drawing him closer possessively. “Well..since you asked nicely and all…” The taller man let the sentence trail off and grinned at his boyfriend, anticipation warming him from the inside out. It was going to be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna thank all my readers for your patience. This chapter took a bit longer than I'd like to finish and post. I'm already looking ahead to chapter 11, so don't worry! There will be more fluff and smut coming your way soon. Special thanks always to the members of the Yuki/Kyo Discord server I'm lucky enough to be a part of. Our brainstorming sessions continue to feed this fic. You're all gems.


	11. Fair and Square

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's date night at Yuki's place, and he calls in his favor. Kyo has no idea what he's in for. Will Yuki be naughty or nice?

He looked down at Kyo, who was currently sprawled on his side in front of his television, head propped up on one arm as he watched the screen, eyes at a lazy half-mast. Yuki had won their rock-paper-scissors toss for who picked the movie that night, and it was very apparent that the nature documentary was failing in the battle to hold Kyo’s attention. A bear stood in a stream and slapped a fish out of the water, catching it in its jaws in a flash of silvery scales. Kyo’s eyes slid the rest of the way shut, and his head started to dip lower, the arm that was propping him up starting to sag as he began to drift off. Yuki smiled slightly and shook his head, slipping off the couch and ghosting soundlessly up behind his boyfriend on the floor. Kneeling and leaning forward, he brushed his lips along the shell of Kyo’s ear, breath feathering hotly against his skin as he whispered, “I don’t know why I bother trying to watch anything but action movies with you.” The dozing man startled back to full consciousness, eyes snapping open and focusing on the screen. Kyo blinked and mumbled a reply before he’d fully registered what was happening, “M’wake. Payin’ attention. Bears…” The sentence trailed off only to be met with Yuki’s huff of laughter as he snaked an arm around Kyo, fingers trailing over his chest idly as his lips trailed hot, nipping kisses along Kyo’s neck. Eyes glittering, Yuki murmured against the skin of Kyo’s throat between kisses, “I have a suggestion if you’re game. I want to call in my favor.”

Kyo let his head fall back, giving Yuki more access as a groan escaped him at the feel of his lover’s mouth on his throat. His attention sharpened when Yuki mentioned calling in his favor, however, and his expression soured as he recalled how the other man had bested him at the dojo a few weeks ago. He’d been wondering when this was going to happen, and Yuki had enjoyed his frustration, drawing it out until Kyo was tempted to tell him he could shove said favor where the sun didn’t shine, bet or no bet. But now the moment was here, and Kyo was a man of his word. Gritting his teeth, he shot a disgruntled look over his shoulder at the pale man currently wrapped around him and muttered, “Well, out with it. What are you planning on torturing me with?” Yuki’s expression shifted from amused to solemn at Kyo’s snappish tone. He stilled, fingers ceasing their mindless stroking against Kyo’s sternum as his palm flattened there. The silence stretched between them for one tense beat, then another. When Kyo shifted uncomfortably against him, slightly chastened, Yuki finally broke it with a soft whisper. “I wasn’t going to suggest anything I thought you wouldn’t like, Kyo. You don’t have to say yes. I’d never push you to do anything you didn’t want to do.”

Well, that did it. Now Kyo felt like an asshole for assuming Yuki was up to no good since his lover’s playful mood was gone. Even though Yuki was trying to keep his usual cool exterior in place, Kyo knew better by now, and he could see the hurt that flickered on the edges where Yuki’s mask was slipping. Heaving a sigh, he rolled toward the slightly shorter man, capturing him with an arm around his waist and dragging Yuki close. He leaned his forehead against Yuki’s and murmured a reply, “Hey, I’m sorry for being a grump. Tell me what you had in mind.” He took one of Yuki’s hands in his and raised it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to his knuckles as he met the other’s gaze, waiting for a response. Yuki nibbled on his lower lip, hesitation clear as he looked up at Kyo and considered. After a moment he caved and answered, “I want to blindfold you in bed. And maybe tie your hands..but only if you’re okay with it.” Kyo blinked in surprise and drew back a bit as he thought about it. He kept his grip on Yuki’s waist, hand settling at the small of his lover’s back as he slowly refocused on Yuki’s face. “Do you want to top? I don’t mind. I just haven’t bottomed in a long time, and I wasn’t sure if you—” Yuki interrupted him with a quick shake of his head and interjected before Kyo could continue, “No. I mean, if that’s something you want I can, but fucking you isn’t the point. I _do_ want to be in control for a little while, but it’s more about surprising you. I want..I want to focus on your pleasure for once. I like making you feel good, Kyo, but you have a tendency to..well, take charge most of the time.” Yuki blushed and faltered, his gaze dropping to their joined hands.

Kyo grinned at that, and it was a wicked curving of lips and teeth glinting in the darkened room. He leaned in and kissed Yuki long and slow, drawing it out as the hand on his lover’s back pressed their lower halves flush together. Yuki made a desperate little noise low in his throat and clutched at Kyo’s shirt as his eyes slid shut, and he writhed against him in response. He loved it when Yuki dissolved like this, but he was rather proving his boyfriend’s point at the moment. Reluctantly, Kyo withdrew from the kiss, leaving Yuki slightly dazed, his lips kiss-swollen and too tempting for words. The taller man’s sigh of regret spoke volumes, and he traced Yuki’s lower lip with the thumb of the hand cupping his face. “I’m good with your idea. How do you want this to work? Bedroom?” It took Yuki a moment to come back from the pleasant haze of being kissed rather thoroughly, but he shook his head slightly to clear it and refocused on Kyo’s question. Clearing his throat, Yuki met Kyo’s gaze and nodded an affirmative, “Yes, I..well, I picked up a few things in case you agreed.” He blushed again but untangled himself from Kyo’s hold, and the two of them climbed to their feet and made their way to his bedroom.

Yuki went to his closet and brought out a bag. Two spots of crimson high on his cheeks, he pulled out a blindfold and a pair of wrist cuffs that he’d purchased from the local adult store. He’d even broken down and asked one of the sales people for recommendations when it came to the wrist cuffs, wanting something that would be comfortable for Kyo while still effectively immobilizing him and restricting the use of his hands. Kyo’s eyebrows arched when he saw what Yuki was holding but refrained from making a snarky comment, realizing that Yuki was already nervous about this and probably would try to call off the whole thing again if he did. Instead the martial artist stood by the bed and slowly peeled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor, then he let his fingers trail idly along the waist of his cargo pants as he caught Yuki’s gaze. “What do you want me to do, love?” Nibbling on his lower lip, Yuki’s eyes followed Kyo’s hands as they toyed with the fastening of his pants before snapping up to his face when he voiced the question. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he reminded himself that this was supposed to be fun and replied, his voice even and a bit husky, “Strip down to nothing and lay down on your back.”

Kyo’s eyes smoldered as he popped the button on his pants and undid the zipper before hooking his thumbs in the corners and tugging them and his boxers down in one go. Shoving them down his legs, he stepped free and kicked them aside carelessly. He was already half-hard in anticipation of what was to come, and he didn’t even know what Yuki was going to do to him yet. He’d nearly always been the one in control during his sexual encounters, but maybe there was something to be said for letting somebody else run the show every now and then. Well, he was about to find out, one way or another. Climbing on to the bed, he did as Yuki asked, settling himself comfortably on his back, watching as Yuki came to stand beside it and held up the blindfold in one hand and the cuffs in the other. “Which do you want first, Kyo?” Considering for a moment, he offered Yuki the wrist closest to him as he replied, “Cuffs first. I think I’m probably gonna be more nervous when I can’t see, so better do this now.”

His gaze softening, Yuki fastened the cuff around Kyo’s wrist, checking to make sure it wasn’t too tight or rubbing him the wrong way before securing it to the headboard. Walking around to the other side of the bed he repeated the process with Kyo’s other arm. The taller man tested out his range of motion and gave a couple experimental tugs before settling back into place and looking up at Yuki. “Okay. Step two, I guess.” Yuki gave him an amused half-smile before leaning in to kiss him lightly, pulling away after a moment and nodding. Kyo closed his eyes preemptively as Yuki slid the blindfold on and adjusted it until he was sure it was both comfortable and wouldn’t become easily dislodged when Kyo moved. He stepped back and just watched for a moment as Kyo shifted slightly on the bed, his head turning as he tried to listen for Yuki’s movements. Keeping his voice low and soft, he spoke, “If you want to stop at any point just tell me, and we’ll stop.” Falling silent after that, he circled the bed and approached from the other side.

Yuki eased onto the bed and reached out with one hand, fingers lightly skimming Kyo’s chest, pausing to tweak one of his nipples, which earned him a hiss of reaction from his boyfriend. Smirking and gaining a bit of confidence, he let his fingers trail lower, tracing idle patterns on Kyo’s abs before dipping to stroke over his hip bone and linger there as he watched Kyo arch into his touch and grumble at the fact that he could do nothing but await Yuki’s pleasure. Huffing a laugh, he leaned down and kissed his way from Kyo’s neck to his navel, taking his sweet time and pausing now and then to nibble and lick at several sensitive spots that made Kyo curse and tug at his bonds in frustration. He dipped his tongue into the shallow well of his boyfriend’s belly button, and Kyo nearly jerked his arms out of their sockets with how hard he pulled as he arched up in reaction. “Fuck, Yuki! Do that again!” Smirking, Yuki acquiesced and repeated the motion a few more times, wringing another bout of moaning interspersed with colorful language from the other man. Eyes shining with amusement, he slid further down Kyo’s body and slid his hands slowly up from Kyo’s knees to stroke his inner thighs, his mouth hovering over Kyo’s straining erection. Blowing a soft puff of air along the leaking tip, he chuckled darkly as a soft whine escaped the bound and currently sightless man beneath him.

Kyo was beginning to think that giving Yuki this much power over him was a mistake. Not that he was scared, or even uncomfortable really. It was mostly that he was desperate for _more_. More touches, more friction, more of Yuki’s sinfully talented mouth on his skin. And the fucker was drawing it out and taking as long as he damn well could to get to the point. Groaning with frustration when Yuki feathered light kisses along one inner thigh, his hands caressing Kyo’s other thigh and opposite hip at the same time, Kyo writhed and was reduced to begging, which he hated, but at this point pride was losing out to desire. He needed Yuki’s mouth on his cock **now**. “You’re fucking killing me, babe. Please..ah… _Fuck_ , Yuki, suck me. Just—” He promptly shut up when Yuki did just that, quite suddenly engulfing Kyo’s aching prick with miraculous wet heat that sent him gasping for breath and curling his hands into fists. 

Yuki hummed around his mouthful, sending delightful vibrations down Kyo’s length as he sucked hard and bobbed his head up and down. Reaching down, he gently cupped the other man’s balls and toyed with them in a way he knew Kyo liked as he picked up the pace. He knew that his lover wouldn’t last long if he kept this up, not after all the teasing he’d gotten away with so far tonight. Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, he slowed the pace and pulled back until he had just the tip of Kyo’s cock in his mouth. He flicked his tongue along the slit and wrapped his free hand around the shaft, stroking in time to his sucking. Kyo’s hips bucked, and he groaned in frustration at the change of pace. After a few minutes of this Yuki pulled off of Kyo entirely and crawled over to where he could reach his bedside table. Opening the drawer, he pulled out a bottle of lube and slid back over to resettle himself between Kyo’s legs. He popped the top and coated a couple fingers in the stuff before nudging his lover’s knees further apart, his voice a bit rough and a tad lower than usual as he spoke, “Remember, Kyo. If you want me to stop, say so.”

Kyo shifted slightly, brows drawing down in a scowl at the repeated admonition. “I _know_ already, Yuki. You don’t have to keep—” but he was unable to finish his sentence as he felt a finger sliding down his perineum, then Yuki slowly prying his cheeks apart to expose his puckered hole. He breathed in sharply as he realized what was coming and went still. Yuki paused a moment in hesitation at Kyo’s sudden silence, but Kyo let out a slow exhale and relaxed his body as much as possible in an attempt to soothe Yuki’s nerves, as well as prepare himself. He spoke, his voice a low growl full of need that made Yuki’s breath catch in his throat, “Quit hesitating. Fuck me with your fingers. I want it, Yuki. Just..start slow.” Kyo felt Yuki resettle himself before a questing finger returned, lightly circling his entrance, teasing the sensitive flesh before slowly pushing into him. He sucked in another breath and locked up for a moment before reminding himself that tensing would not be the smartest move on his part and made himself relax again, focusing instead on the fact that Yuki wanted so badly to make this good for him. Yuki eased him into it at first, moving just the one finger slowly back and forth until he felt it was safe to add a second without hurting him. By this time Kyo was letting out the occasional moan and pushing back against Yuki’s fingers.

Yuki watched him in fascination as Kyo practically fucked himself on his fingers. His own cock was so hard it was almost painful, still constrained by his pants, but he wasn’t about to stop what he was doing to relieve the pressure. He added another finger, and after giving Kyo a moment to adjust to the change started to pick up the pace, twisting and flexing his fingers to open him up further. Kyo’s hips were moving in a jerking rhythm, and the sounds that escaped him only served to heighten Yuki’s excitement. His tongue darted out to wet his lower lip as he continued to watch his partner move, but a sudden thought occurred to him, making him narrow his eyes and smile wickedly as he curled his fingers in a come hither motion and pressed in what he hoped was the right spot. _Found it,_ he thought as Kyo yowled and arched up, spine bowing as pleasure exploded through him, radiating outward from his prostate, which Yuki had just brushed with his fingers. “I take it you liked that? Shall I do it again?” He wasn’t really looking for a response, and instead thrust his fingers in and out of Kyo more rapidly now, occasionally twisting and finding that spot again but always leaving Kyo panting and desperate for more.

He felt like he was losing his mind. Every time Yuki hit his prostate he couldn’t help but make some kind of frantic noise and writhe about in reaction. Kyo couldn’t remember why they didn’t do this more often. It felt incredible, and he needed more. Breathing hard, he shook his head a bit to clear it and without bothering to pause his body’s bucking back against Yuki’s fingers he made a decision. “Yuki, I want you inside me.” At that he felt Yuki’s rhythm stutter to a halt, and he huffed in frustration at the sudden lack of movement. He made himself stop when he was about to say something else. He could practically _hear_ Yuki thinking, and he knew that his lover needed a moment to consider the idea. They’d only briefly mentioned it once before this whole thing began tonight, after all, and he’d understand if Yuki said no. He’d be disappointed, but like hell he was going to let Yuki know that. The man had balked enough tonight as it was, and Kyo didn’t want Yuki to feel like he’d let him down if he wasn’t comfortable topping.

Yuki’s whole body clenched at the thought of fulfilling Kyo’s request. He wanted to, but he was also afraid of not being any good or worse hurting Kyo. Biting his lower lip as he thought about it, he looked down at his partner. Kyo’s face was utterly open, his body language languid and trusting, and that was what decided him. Slowly withdrawing his fingers, he bit back a laugh at Kyo’s groan at the motion and stripped off his shirt and tossed it aside. As Kyo’s head turned toward the soft sound of it hitting the floor, Yuki backed up off of him and undid the fastenings on his pants and shucked them and his briefs off in quick succession. He’d gone sockless, so now completely nude he crawled back over to Kyo and got into position. Still watching him, Yuki managed to dredge up a soft reply as he picked up the lube from where he’d set it aside and slicked his cock and applied more to Kyo’s entrance, “You’re sure?”

Kyo nodded and smiled reassuringly up at Yuki, wishing for the first time since Yuki’s mouth on his cock had made him forget about it that he could take the blindfold off. He wanted to see Yuki’s face, but he didn’t want to spoil this for the other man by requesting it either. He thought that taking away Kyo’s sight and limiting his mobility was making Yuki feel a bit more confident about being in control and that was more important than seeing at the moment. When he felt the head of Yuki’s cock brush his ass he gasped and let his head fall back. “Do it, Yuki..please.” He didn’t have to ask again because Yuki started to push into him, and Kyo was forced to take measured breaths as he adjusted to the difference between fingers and a cock inside of him for the first time in ages. His lover took it slow and gave him time before easing in further. When Yuki was fully seated inside him they both paused, just reveling in the moment. He moaned quietly when Yuki started to move, and almost without thought he met the pace, eager for the pleasure that had started to spark along his insides with their motions.

Gasping, Yuki rocked into Kyo and slowly back out, in measured thrusts. He’d done this a handful of times with exactly one other person and had forgotten how intense being inside someone could feel. “Kyo..oh god, you’re so tight. Tell me..h-how to make it good for you.” His boyfriend growled and arched back into him, grinding his ass against Yuki’s pelvis. If his response was any indication Yuki was already doing a decent job, but he still wanted some direction. Suddenly frustrated, he reached out and undid the blindfold, jerking it off and tossing it away. Molten orange eyes snapped open and up to meet his, and Kyo replied, his voice thick with need, “Fuck me harder, lover. I’m not gonna break. Your cock feels so good filling me up.” Yuki felt like his brain was melting, and the absolute filth that was coming out of Kyo’s mouth was speeding the process. He obeyed, however, hips snapping as his pace became both rougher and faster. The strangled moans that this drove out of Kyo made him think he’d succeeded in following directions adequately. He couldn’t stop his own gasps of pleasure as his hands slid down Kyo’s sides while he continued to plunge in and out of him.

Kyo gritted his teeth and bucked his own hips, now desperate for some kind of friction against his rigid and aching cock. Yuki occasionally hitting his prostate head on was making him dizzy with pleasure, but he wanted more. At least the wretched blindfold was off now, and he hadn’t even had to ask. Still holding Yuki’s gaze, his lips curved upward in a wicked smile as he resumed giving his boyfriend directions. Yuki was supposed to be the one in charge, but hey, he’d asked. “You’re doing so good, baby. Now wrap your hand around my cock and jerk me while you fuck me—” a gasp as Yuki complied before he cleared his throat and continued, “—That’s it, just like that. Tease the slit a little, yeah.. Oh, _fuck_! Twist your wrist like that again. Goddamnit, Yuki I’m so fucking close…” Shutting his eyes tightly, he arched into the other man’s touch, words failing him as he felt himself spiraling towards the edge. Yuki was losing control of the rhythm and instead pounding into him wildly, his grip on Kyo’s cock firm and unrelenting.

When Kyo’s voice faltered and devolved into grunts and moans of pleasure, Yuki found his steady thrusting was quickly turning into a more frantic bucking into the other man’s clenching heat. He cried out as he aimed for what he thought was the right place and drove deep into Kyo before holding himself there and grinding into him ruthlessly. Yuki had indeed found the right spot because Kyo screamed a litany of garbled nonsense and writhed beneath him as his prostate received steady pressure, sending bolts of pleasure up his spine. Toes curling, the taller man dug his nails into his palms unwittingly as his entire body spasmed, his orgasm ripping through him and causing him to spill over Yuki’s hand. Nearly sobbing with the effort it took to hold out through Kyo’s release, he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and withdrew almost completely before slamming into him once, twice, and on the third thrust, screaming Kyo’s name, he came, body shuddering as he did so. When it was over, he slumped against Kyo, breathing hard and releasing his grip on his cock to instead wrap his arms around Kyo and cling to him tightly, burying his face in the crook of Kyo’s neck.

As he started to settle from the post-orgasm high, Kyo laughed softly as Yuki clung to him and dipped his head just enough to press a kiss to the other man’s temple. “You were amazing, love, but do you think you can let me outta these things real quick?” He wiggled his fingers meaningfully as Yuki blinked and looked up at him almost drowsily before realization jolted him into motion. Easing out of Kyo gently, Yuki leaned up and undid both of the cuffs, taking Kyo’s wrists in his hands one at a time and rubbing any stiffness out carefully. Kyo grinned at him and tugged him back down to lay against him snugly, tucking Yuki’s head back under his chin and stroking his hair lazily as his eyes slid shut. “I could be persuaded to do that more regularly from now on. Just sayin’..” He felt Yuki’s shoulders shake with his own quiet laughter before the other man replied with a brisk, “Oh yeah?” Sighing contentedly as Yuki shifted against him and started to run a hand down his back comfortingly, he couldn’t stop the grin that continued to tug at the corners of his mouth or the teasing reply that rested on the tip of his tongue, “Mhmm, but don’t get smug or nothin’ because next time it’s your turn, and you’ve given me all these nifty ideas now. You sure changed your mind about topping easily enough. Had fun?”

Shuddering in mock horror and also a _bit_ of anticipation at the thought, Yuki laughed and raised his head to kiss Kyo deeply, fingers threading through his hair and tugging hard. Pausing after a moment, he broke the kiss to look up at his lover, unable to resist a token protest. "It wasn't like I planned it! I was just going to finger you a little, maybe massage your prostate and suck you off until you came. So technically this is _your_ fault." After a pause, he continued, "But yes, I did have fun. You did too if all those noises you made were any indication." Kyo huffed a laugh despite the mock glare he attempted to shoot Yuki's way, but he didn't correct him. They traded slow, intense kisses for awhile until both started to drift off, and Yuki settled comfortably in the circle of Kyo’s arms. A shower would’ve probably been prudent, but neither of them could muster the energy required to move just then. His eyes drooping, he mumbled against Kyo’s shoulder, “Stay the night, please?” And was gratified by the sleepy but decidedly affirmative grunt from his half-conscious lover. Smiling, Yuki let sleep steal over him, content in the knowledge that his favor had not been so arduous for Kyo after all and that his boyfriend would be there when he woke. He didn’t know what he’d done to warrant his luck, but in the moments before dreams overtook him, Yuki vowed he’d do whatever he could to keep the man who now so thoroughly occupied his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been slow going the last few chapters, so thank you all for bearing with me. Life has kept me busy recently, but I have plans for our boys beyond this story, my humble beginning into fanfic writing. This chapter is dedicated to SharkFairy77 for helping me brainstorm both their wager and the result thereof. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.


	12. Manners Matter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after Yuki calls in his favor, and Kyo has made Yuki breakfast and plans on surprising him after cuddling him awake. Yuki, being the unparalleled brat that he is, does not wake up particularly gracefully. Looks like our bad-at-mornings boy has gotten himself into a spot of trouble. Whatever will happen next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised the lovely SharkFairy77 some PG-13 morning cuddles. Some stuff came up, and we went completely off script and ended up..here. There is smut. Some mildly kinky smut. Sorry, not sorry. You have been warned. ;D

There were birds chirping somewhere. This was the first half-formed thought that entered Kyo’s mind as he cracked an eye part of the way open and glared in the direction of the window. Normally he was an early riser, but last night had been a late one full of Yuki’s called in favor. He grinned as he recalled the experience and closed his eye again, huffing a laugh as he buried his face in Yuki’s hair and breathed him in with a contented sigh. His grip on the smaller man tightened, and he stroked tan fingers idly against his lover’s pale stomach. Yuki had turned about in his sleep until his back was tucked against Kyo’s front, limbs sprawled haphazardly, one arm clasped around the one Kyo had hooked around his waist. One of Kyo’s legs was also trapped between Yuki’s, and he took a moment to just savor the feeling of waking up next to the man he loved.

Kyo was beginning to realize that he liked it quite a lot. In fact, he’d begun to find it harder to fall asleep on the nights that one of them wasn’t crashing at the other’s place. Mulling over this thought, he opened his eyes as he leaned in and nipped at Yuki’s ear before murmuring into it in a low voice, rough with sleep, “Yuki, wake up. We need a shower, and we made plans to have lunch with Tohru and Momiji later.” Thank god for weekends, or they’d never leave on time. There was zero response from his first attempt to wake the other man. Kyo wasn’t surprised. He knew that it wasn’t going to be that easy. It never was. Yuki was as far from a morning person as one could get. Rolling his eyes, he rocked the leg wedged between Yuki’s gently and slid the hand on his stomach upward until his fingers grazed a nipple. Grinning slightly, he pinched it and twisted a bit, his mouth moving against the shell of Yuki’s ear, “Babe, you have to get up. C’mon, I’ll make it worth your while if you open your eyes right now.”

His efforts were rewarded with a grunt and a shift of Yuki’s hips against his own, but his eyelids didn’t so much as flutter. Snorting, Kyo shook his head and gave up on that tactic, instead prying his arm out of Yuki’s hold and slowly extracting his leg from between the other man’s. Yuki made a discontented noise low in his throat as Kyo moved away, his brow furrowing slightly in his sleep. The sight made Kyo soften inside, and he leaned down and pressed gentle kisses to the side of Yuki’s face until his forehead smoothed and a little sigh escaped the sleeping man. A soft smile curving his mouth, he slid out of bed and decided he’d give Yuki a bit longer while he availed himself of his lover’s shower. Emerging about fifteen minutes later feeling refreshed, a towel wrapped around his hips, Kyo paused to look at Yuki, who was now stretched out on his stomach, the covers shoved down to his waist, baring the very top of his backside before the rest of him disappeared underneath.

Shaking his head and muttering about Yuki being utterly impossible, Kyo swapped the towel for a clean pair of underwear and some cargo pants from the drawer Yuki had cleaned out especially for Kyo when he’d started spending more nights over. There was a similar drawer for some of Yuki’s things at his own place, and Kyo was starting to see a pattern. With a rueful smile, he left the bedroom and moved into the kitchen to examine the contents of the fridge. He’d taken Yuki grocery shopping just last week, insisting that the fridge and pantry be stocked with more than instant meals for when he wanted to come over and cook. Really, the man would starve at this point if it wasn’t for him. Humming thoughtfully, he took out some things and started on making them both a light breakfast. He didn’t want anything too heavy with how much he knew Tohru would probably cook for lunch. She tended to go overboard, always eager to please her friends, and he’d feel bad if they couldn’t do her spread justice later.

Twenty minutes later, Kyo was carrying a tray of breakfast into the bedroom. He set it down on top of Yuki’s dresser, not trusting that there wouldn’t be flailing involved in the latest attempt to wake his boyfriend. Crossing over to the bed, he shook Yuki’s shoulders gently while calling his name. The most this earned him was a sleepy mumble and Yuki burrowing deeper under the covers he’d somehow managed to fling back over himself while Kyo had been in the kitchen. Rolling his eyes, Kyo sighed in exasperation and gripped the blankets, flinging them off and scrunching them to the bottom of the bed and barking in a firmer tone, “Yuki, get up! I’ve tried the nice way. Don’t make me dump you on the floor.” Yuki curled into a ball and tucked his head under his arms, grumbling something about assholes not leaving him alone and going back to sleep. Narrowing his eyes, Kyo reached down and pinched Yuki sharply on his backside, which was enough to _finally_ produce results.

One minute Yuki was warm and happy, bundled under his blankets in bed, and the next he was stripped of his covers and grumbled at by someone. When Kyo pinched him he went from still mostly asleep to wide awake and livid in the space of seconds. His eyes snapped open, and with a yowl of outrage, he grabbed Kyo around his waist and yanked him down onto the bed. The taller man cursed softly as Yuki toppled him onto his back and with a grunt of effort managed to roll Yuki under him and pin his lower half with his legs. Yuki arched his back in an attempt to throw Kyo off balance and huffed in annoyance when the other man slammed him back down and grasped his wrists tightly, stretching them above Yuki’s head and holding him there firmly. Snarling, his voice cracked between them, heedless of their positions reversing, “Thought catching me asleep would help you win this time? Somebody’s a sore loser.” He looked up into molten orange eyes narrowed in irritation, and the fight drained out of him as he realized two things. 

The first was that he smelled breakfast. Here he was being his typical difficult self in the morning, and his lover had made him food. Second, Kyo holding him down like this was kind of..exciting, and he’d just mouthed off to someone who had him pinned underneath him. He swallowed audibly and felt his face heating up, but he didn’t drop his gaze. Instead he let himself go limp in Kyo’s grip, his pupils dilating and his breath hitching in his chest. When he felt Kyo go still atop him he licked his lips and watched him carefully to see what he’d do next. Kyo bit back a groan and lowered his head to capture Yuki’s mouth in a searing kiss, which the currently incapacitated man happily reciprocated. Yuki hummed in approval and pressed himself even closer to Kyo as the taller man broke the kiss to nuzzle the sensitive spot behind Yuki’s ear and trail soft kisses along his neck and shoulder. “You made me breakfast,” Yuki murmured softly, head tilted back to allow Kyo easier access to his neck. He felt the other man smile against his skin and then sharp teeth dragged over his pulse point before a warm tongue flicked over the spot, drawing a ragged moan out of him.

“Yes, I did, but I’m beginning to think you don’t deserve it now.” Kyo’s voice was biting, but there was a touch of amusement warming his tone. He kept Yuki’s wrists pinned with one hand, stretching him taut beneath him as his other hand roamed lower fingers snaking along his lover’s sides. Yuki’s eyes widened, and he arched up, silently begging for Kyo to keep going. Arousal was curling low in Yuki’s belly, and he felt himself reacting to the situation he found himself in. This was not lost on Kyo, and his smile turned dark and knowing. He had another thing in mind, however, and instead of allowing his fingers to wander even lower on his boyfriend’s body, his touch lingered on his sides, feathering softly at first and then curving and brushing several spots he knew were just a tad _too_ sensitive. The body beneath him bucked and twisted, trying to get away from the curling fingers dancing across his skin, and that was when the begging started.

“Kyo, no!” Gasping breaths interspersed with bouts of helpless laughter followed before Yuki could get the rest of it out. “Please, it tickles! Oh god, stop!” He knew he was pleading at this point, but he couldn’t keep the words from pouring out anymore than he could stop laughing or writhing away from Kyo’s merciless onslaught. After what seemed like hours but was really only a few minutes, Kyo relented and allowed Yuki to catch his breath, his hand resting on Yuki’s hip, strong fingers curling around the slender curve there. Eyes shining, Yuki looked up at him and attempted a pout, but his lips quivered at the corners, fighting a losing battle in the effort not to smile. “You’re awful. You know how much I hate being tickled.” Warm orange eyes met his glittering silver ones, and he saw the smug satisfaction as well as the open affection there as Kyo replied, “You got off lightly as far as I’m concerned. You’re fucking ridiculous in the morning, do you know that?” Yuki did indeed, but he tossed his head imperiously and stuck his nose in the air, feigning superiority and sniffed loudly. “I was minding my own business, sleeping comfortably when you decided to pinch me. If anything you’re a brute!”

Kyo arched an eyebrow at him and then narrowed his eyes. So Yuki needed another lesson still, huh? Every move quick and precise, Kyo lifted himself enough to have room to flip Yuki over onto his stomach and bring his arms up sharply behind him, Yuki’s wrists still clamped tightly in one hand at the small of his back now. He straddled him, his weight resting on the backs of Yuki’s upper thighs. Yuki drew in a sharp breath, about to speak when out of nowhere Kyo delivered a stinging smack to his rear with his free hand. The man beneath him let out a surprised yelp which was followed swiftly by several low, ragged cries when the smacks kept coming. He paused when Yuki’s bottom was nicely pink, noting how the other man whimpered as he cupped his hand over one abused cheek and rubbed it gently. 

Yuki’s face was redder than his backside, his eyes wet with tears. It wasn’t that Kyo had hurt him really. No, the truth was even worse because Yuki had _liked it._ He was harder than he’d ever been in his life, his cock leaking and aching between his legs, and he knew that there was no way Kyo could have possibly missed this fact in their current position. He hissed sharply when Kyo dragged a fingernail across the curve of his ass, and a low voice thrummed in his ear, “Now then, are you sorry?” Yuki swallowed and nodded swiftly, his face still buried in a pillow to hide his embarrassment. Kyo continued, “Say it, Princess. I want to hear you.” This was followed by another slow caress to his tender backside, and Yuki bit back a moan as he struggled to find his voice. After another drawn out moment, he cleared his throat and spoke in a rough whisper, resentment at the nickname and the riot of feeling this was causing inside him coloring his tone, “I’m sorry.” 

Kyo’s mouth flattened into a line at the bite in Yuki’s voice, and he responded accordingly with two more sharp smacks to Yuki’s rear, causing him to cry out and buck beneath him, a strangled sob emerging as the slender man arched into Kyo’s touch. He was pretty sure Yuki couldn’t decide whether he wanted Kyo to stop or not. Sure, his ass was probably on fire, but if his hard-on was any indication that might not necessarily be a bad thing at this point. “You don’t sound sorry to me,” Kyo ground out, his tone almost a growl. “Try again.” Another flurry of spanks, and Yuki was groaning and rocking beneath Kyo mindlessly, his eyes squeezed shut. Kyo clicked his tongue impatiently and shifted his weight back slightly, giving a couple swats to the tops of Yuki’s thighs where his legs met the lower curve of his ass. A full-body shudder wracked Yuki before he managed to choke out a response, “Please, Kyo! Oh god, I’m sorry! _Please!_ ” It was clear that Yuki didn’t even know what he was begging for now, only that his need was fierce and all-encompassing. A slow, satisfied smile curved Kyo’s mouth at last, and he leaned down to whisper in Yuki’s ear, “That’s better, but I’m not done with you yet, Princess. Oh no. I’m going to play with you some more, and you’re going to thank me when I’m done. Aren’t you?”

Yuki’s frantic cries of assent spurred Kyo on, and his tone shifted to authoritative, “I’m going to let go of your wrists, but you better not move or you’ll be sorry. Understand?” Another nod from Yuki, and he kept on talking while he released him and stretched to reach for a familiar tube in Yuki’s bedside table drawer. “Get on your knees and spread your legs. I want that pert little ass on display for me. And don’t you dare take your hands away from the small of your back or try to touch yourself. That cock is mine. I’ll decide whether or not you’ve been good enough to cum, pet.” A gasp accompanied Yuki’s flurry of motion as he rushed to obey. Kyo watched as his lover positioned himself, Yuki’s back arching gracefully as he settled himself. He admired the slender curve of his spine for a moment before moving to kneel behind him, one hand stroking the redness of Yuki’s backside idly before he coated his fingers with lube from the tube he’d fetched and set it aside.

Prying apart Yuki’s ass cheeks earned him a little mewl in reaction, and Kyo chuckled darkly as he teased his lover’s cleft with his fingers before circling his entrance slowly. His gaze intent, he pushed a finger into Yuki and started to work him open carefully. Before long he was adding another finger and moving them faster. Yuki was moaning now and pushing back against Kyo’s fingers, eager for more, but Kyo was having none of it. He stilled his hand and gave Yuki a warning swat with the one that wasn’t two knuckles deep in his ass. “What did I say about moving, Yuki?” The shorter man froze, his eyes going wide, hands clenching into fists, though they stayed positioned firmly where Kyo had left them at the small of his back. His voice wavered slightly as he answered, “Y..you said not to.” A beat of silence, and then Kyo nodded. He held his free hand still against the twitching skin of Yuki’s backside before he spoke, “You seem to be having trouble with this. Shall I stop, then?” Yuki shook his head wildly, his expression almost desperate, and Kyo had to bite back a smile, schooling his own face to something resembling stern as he continued, “Disobey me again, and you’ll get worse than a sore ass. Are we clear?” 

Yuki shuddered at the dark promise in Kyo’s voice and nodded, and when the other man arched an eyebrow at him he quickly voiced an answer as well, “Yes, I understand.” Kyo paused, his expression expectant still. Wracking his brain for what it might be, a thought dawned on him, making his cheeks go pink at the realization. His voice was hushed and breathy when he tried again, “Yes, I understand, _sir_.” The smile of approval this earned him made the blush spread to his ears, and he buried his face in the pillow again, overcome with mortification at the flush of pleasure that had washed over him at the knowledge that he’d chosen correctly. When Kyo started moving the fingers inside of him again he gasped and had to force himself to be still, to not arch back into them or rock his hips in a vain attempt at relieving his swollen and neglected erection. He felt a third finger join the first two and couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped him as he felt them twist and flex inside him, scissoring him open and readying him for Kyo’s cock. At least he hoped that’s what was about to happen. He wanted Kyo very badly, and even the thought of him moving against the soreness of his backside (or perhaps because of that, he wasn’t entirely sure anymore) couldn’t deter him from this need.

Kyo was a bit surprised but definitely not displeased at how easily Yuki had taken to following his lead. It was certainly doing wonders for his cock, which was straining against the confines of his pants. He hadn’t planned on this little foray into domming, but he wasn’t about to start complaining, not when he had his lover kneeling so prettily and waiting on his pleasure. Smiling, an impish cant to his lips, he twisted his fingers and pressed against Yuki’s prostate, pleased at the jolt that went through the other man and the low groans he wrung out of him as he kept up the pressure. But Yuki kept his position except for the tiny shakes his body gave in reaction, and Kyo praised him as he massaged that sensitive spot inside him, slipping a warning in along with it, “Mm..such a good boy, staying in place like I told you. But remember, no cumming. Not until I tell you you can.” He kept thrusting his fingers into Yuki for awhile longer, now alternating the pressure on and off his prostate at random intervals, which he could tell was driving Yuki half-mad with the need for more. Using his free hand, he unfastened his pants and shoved them down, freeing his cock at last. 

With a sigh of relief, Kyo palmed himself, slicking his length with the pre-come already leaking copiously from the tip and jerking slowly in time to the thrust of his fingers inside Yuki. He felt the quiver that went through the other man when Yuki had heard the rustle of his pants sliding down his legs, and his smile widened at Yuki’s anticipation. “Eager for it, aren’t you, pet? You can’t wait to have my cock inside you, splitting you open. Go on. If you ask nicely I might oblige you.” He waited, keeping up the slow pace of his thrusts and the hand working himself as he watched Yuki with burning eyes. He heard Yuki’s breath leave him in a rush and could picture the way his eyes were probably as wide as saucers and had to stop himself from chuckling. He knew that he’d have to be patient with Yuki. This was unexplored territory for them, but Yuki was undoubtedly eager, if still incredibly embarrassed by how much this turned him on, so Kyo held his silence, waiting to see how Yuki would respond to his prompting.

Yuki was frozen in shock, and his eyes were indeed about as wide as they could go, though his expression was hidden by the pillow in front of him. Kyo’s words were still ringing in his ears, and he couldn’t _possibly_ expect Yuki to actually answer..could he? Another slow intake of breath, and Kyo still hadn’t spoken or moved to do anything besides continue to pump his fingers into Yuki leisurely. Apparently he very much did expect a response because he was still silently waiting, though this didn’t have an air of impatience to it, and for that Yuki was infinitely grateful. He licked his lips and took a few deep breaths before settling himself and forcing the words out. He wanted this, and if it was going to happen he was obviously going to have to ask for it. If he was being honest his pride was pretty much out the window at this point, so he might as well play the part. “I want—”, he cleared his throat nervously and tried again, “I want you to fuck me, fill me up. I want to f-feel you pounding me into the bed. Please..sir, I need it. I need you inside me.” His voice nearly gave out at the end, a bare whisper of sound in the otherwise silent room.

It took every ounce of self control he possessed for Kyo not to leap on Yuki and take him in that instant, heedless of the current roles they were playing, and it was a near thing. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, a muscle working in his jaw, he took a deep breath and let it out before modulating his tone to one of calm pleasure and replied, “Very good, love. I think you’re ready now.” And so saying he slid his fingers out of Yuki and shuffled into position behind him, not bothering to remove his pants all the way, just shoving them a bit further down his thighs before lining himself up and pushing forward into Yuki without any further warning or preparation. Not that they needed any. Yuki’s ass seemed to swallow him as he buried himself to the hilt, a groan escaping him as his hips rested flush against Yuki’s backside. The other man whimpered as he brushed against the tender skin of his ass, but he didn’t flinch or pull away. If anything, Yuki had to fight to not push back against Kyo, desperately trying to obey his earlier edict to remain still. Through the haze of pleasure that burying himself inside of Yuki’s clenching heat always caused, Kyo realized his lover’s difficulty and smiled, his voice soft when he managed to speak, “You can move now, baby. Just don’t touch your cock. That’s still off limits.”

With that Kyo started to move also, drawing out almost all the way before slamming forward again. Taking Yuki at his word, he wasted no time in setting a brutal pace. They were both on edge and had had enough of slow and easy. Yuki was moaning incoherently and rocking back into Kyo’s thrusts, his eyes shut now. He did take advantage of the permission to move his arms from being tucked against his back to now folded and tucked under his head, his forehead pressed against his forearms tightly. He couldn’t stop the noises that Kyo was drawing out of him with every rough plunge into him, and his cock was twitching and bouncing against his belly, aching but he didn’t dare try to touch it or rub it against the bed even for fear that Kyo would stop fucking him. He didn’t think he could bear it if Kyo stopped now. Kyo had started talking again, murmuring filth into his ear as he leaned over him, hips continuing to pound against Yuki’s, driving him to distraction. Without even really realizing it, he was babbling a response, his voice ragged and breathless as pleasure radiated through him in a continuous wave, “Don’t..don’t stop fucking me. Oh, god, Kyo, please! Harder..I can’t...need you.. Oh, _fuck!_ Yes! Right there. That’s so good. Mmmph!” 

Yuki’s voice cut off abruptly when Kyo yanked him up by the scruff of his neck and kissed him deeply, tongue plunging into his mouth in imitation of the way his lower body was doing just then. His other hand reached down and grasped Yuki’s cock, strong fingers wrapping around the shaft and jerking him roughly in time with his own thrusts. The smaller man was practically sobbing into Kyo’s mouth in relief at finally being touched, and he writhed against him, body alternating between rocking back to impale himself on Kyo’s thick cock and thrusting forward into the tight circle of Kyo’s fist on his own shaft. Kyo groaned into the kiss and thrust harder, his pace becoming a bit erratic as he felt his orgasm building. Breaking the kiss, he tilted Yuki’s head back and leaned into him, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to his throat instead. Groaning, he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer, so he redoubled his efforts along Yuki’s shaft, his own hips snapping forward of their own accord.

His teeth grazed Yuki’s earlobe, tongue flicking along the sensitive skin there before he murmured to him, his breath hot as it fanned against his neck, “Cum for me, pet. Do it now.” He relished the way Yuki cried his name and went rigid against him, the slender body shuddering as Yuki obeyed, spilling hotly over Kyo’s fingers only seconds after he’d given the order. Gasping, he followed shortly after, filling Yuki’s ass with his load and continuing to move against him for just a bit longer before slowing to a stop. He took Yuki’s chin in hand, the one that wasn’t covered in Yuki’s release, and turned him toward him, kissing him languidly, his movements slow and tender now. The other man kissed him back in a daze, fresh tears sliding down his face without him realizing it was even happening. When Kyo felt the wetness against his own skin, he pulled back and looked down at Yuki, concern welling in him and making him pull out hastily and turn Yuki toward him. He spared a glance down at his soiled hand, grimaced, then wiped it on the sheets impatiently before pulling Yuki against him and cupping his face in one hand. His voice was as gentle as his touches when he spoke, “Hey now, what’s this about? Did I hurt you? Love, talk to me.”

Yuki slowly blinked his eyes open and looked up at Kyo, his expression soft, his body pliant against Kyo’s. When what Kyo was asking finally penetrated his post-orgasm haze he shook his head slightly and slipped his arms around the other man’s waist, hands sliding up his back, stroking lightly. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m fine. I promise. It was just overwhelming, I think. The endorphins and all that.” He saw doubt flicker across Kyo’s face, and he leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before whispering against it, “I mean it, Kyo, so stop looking at me like that. I loved it, everything you did. It was so hot I think I might’ve cum just from you spanking me if you hadn’t stopped.” He met his gaze evenly, and Yuki’s was heated, full of want even after what they’d just done. Kyo’s eyes widened slightly, and then Yuki was kissing him, tugging his head down and pressing himself snugly against Kyo’s body as he did so.

After a few minutes of trading lazy kisses back and forth, they settled onto their sides, Yuki tucked closely against Kyo’s chest as the taller man held him in a rather possessive grip. Humming happily, Yuki laid his head on Kyo’s shoulder and closed his eyes as his lover stroked his hair gently. “I love you, Kyo.” It just slipped out as Yuki laid against him, drowsy and sated, and he found that he wasn’t embarrassed anymore. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so at peace. Well, maybe besides that day in Kyo’s yard when he’d gifted him the garden. That had been special, and the thought made him smile. He felt Kyo shift against him for a more comfortable position and then settle back again before the other man replied, his voice gruff but soft, “I love you, too, Yuki. I love you so much it scares the fuck outta me sometimes.” And wasn’t that just so very Kyo? Yuki bit back a laugh, pretty sure his lover would take it the wrong way if he let it out in that moment. “You don’t have to be afraid, Kyo, because I’m not going anywhere.” His voice was soft on that last bit, and after a slight pause he felt Kyo’s hand on his hair still.

“About that…” Kyo trailed off and looked down at Yuki, waiting for him to look up and meet his gaze before he cleared his throat and continued, “I’ve been thinking, Yuki, and I wanted to ask you something.” He took a deep breath to steady himself and touched Yuki’s face gently with his fingertips, his expression tender and hopeful and just a bit scared, as if unsure of Yuki’s reception. “Will you move in with me? Or think about it, at least? I..I miss you when you’re not there. I know your place is closer to the city, but I thought maybe with the garden and all..well, I mean, if you don’t like being that far out we could get another place together. I don’t care. I just want—” Yuki cut him off when Kyo got to the point of babbling, shutting him up by kissing him into silence. Kyo took over the kiss in his usual fashion, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he tightened his grip on Yuki’s waist, topic put on pause in favor of ravishing the depths of Yuki’s mouth with his tongue.

Yuki thrummed with pleasure at both the kiss and Kyo’s request. When the other man finally drew his head back so they both could catch their breath, he smiled up at Kyo so brightly that he thought he might burst with how happy he was. The worry vanished from Kyo’s face, replaced with a radiant smile of his own as Yuki gave him his answer, “I’ve actually been thinking about that, too, but I was too scared to say anything. I thought you’d think it was too soon. I’d love to move in with you, Kyo. Your place is great. I love your place. I love _you_.” And with that he buried his fingers in Kyo’s hair, yanking him into another fierce kiss, and for once Kyo let him take the lead, content to kiss him back while cradling him against his body. God, Yuki loved Kyo’s body, too. He was so solid and comforting next to him. He made Yuki feel safe and loved and so many other things that he just couldn’t quite put into words, so he poured all of it into the kiss in the hope that it would reach him.

When they finally broke apart, Kyo looked down at Yuki softly, and there was a suspicious shine in his eyes that might’ve been tears (not that Kyo would ever admit that. He’d die first). His voice was thick with emotion as he responded, “Good, I’m glad. We can start moving your stuff whenever you want. If you want to use some of your furniture or whatever I don’t care. Whatever you want. I’m just so..you make me so happy, Yuki. I know I suck at feelings talks most of the time, but I wanted you to know that.” He registered that Yuki was crying again and became alarmed until Yuki hugged him tightly and buried his face in the crook of his neck as he spoke, “ _God_ , you’re so..so...shut up, Kyo.” After a brief pause, a muffled, “You make me happy, too, stupid” could be heard against the skin of his shoulder. Kyo barked out a laugh and let that one go, shaking his head slightly. Looking around the room, his gaze lit on the forgotten breakfast tray, and he snorted. “Your breakfast is cold, and we definitely need a shower now.”

Yuki choked out a watery laugh and gave Kyo a playful shove before untangling himself from his lover and rolling out of bed. The sting of his ass brushing the sheets drew a gasp from him as he straightened, and he shot Kyo a dirty look as he headed toward the bathroom. Kyo caught the look and grinned, unrepentant. “Hey, I didn’t hear you complaining at the time..” Yuki muttered something about jerks and disappeared through the doorway, and Kyo heard the shower turn on. Still laughing, the taller man climbed off the bed and went to grab the breakfast tray and take it back to the kitchen. He put some foil over the dishes and stuck everything in the fridge before joining Yuki in the bathroom. Yuki was already in the shower, so Kyo slipped in with him and took over washing his hair for him, which earned him a half-hearted glower before Yuki finally gave up and leaned into his touch with a sigh of contentment. When they were both clean, they got out and toweled dry.

Kyo was faster getting dressed, so he reheated breakfast and got everything set out on the table while Yuki was still dithering around in the bedroom figuring out what he wanted to wear. When the writer emerged, he favored Kyo with a smile, though that wilted a bit as he sat gingerly at the table. “You could’ve gone a little easier on my ass, you know. I’m not going to sit right for a week.” The taller man fought to keep a straight face, failed spectacularly, and proceeded to grin smugly at his partner. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” Yuki flushed and darted a glance at him before stuffing some food in his mouth and chewing to avoid having to comment right away. Kyo just laughed at him and started in on his own food. After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, Yuki murmured a reply without looking up from his plate, “Next time maybe you could have me bent over your lap instead of kneeling on the bed.” 

Kyo paused with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth and blinked at Yuki. He lowered them slowly and gazed at his lover from across the table, his eyes growing hot as he zeroed in on Yuki’s flushed cheeks. His voice was husky as he replied, “If you keep this up we’re never gonna make it to lunch.” Yuki darted a glance up at Kyo, his blush spreading from his face to his ears and even down the back of his neck. Shifting nervously in his chair, he dropped his eyes to the tabletop again and if possible his voice dropped even lower, “It’s all I could think about in the shower. Then when I was getting dressed I imagined what it would be like going through a full day of you ordering me around the house, not letting me have any clothes while you were fully dressed the whole time..making me kneel for you.” His breathing hitched, and he dared another glance at Kyo’s face before continuing, “I’d beg you to let me suck your cock, and if I was good you’d force me to take all of you and swallow your load. And I’d thank you after.” With a growl, Kyo shoved away from the table, stalked over to Yuki, yanked him out of his chair, and bodily flung him over his shoulder. Carrying him into the bedroom, he kicked the door shut, and they didn’t emerge for several hours. He was right. They never did make it to lunch.


	13. Things Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which important conversations are had. And one not so important conversation. But at least Haru is amusing. Well, he thinks he is, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit transitional and includes two time skips. My apologies if it seems at all clumsy, but I wanted to showcase where both our boys' heads are as their relationship gets more serious. I owe many thanks to RiddleAfar, GioGioStar, and SharkFairy77 for helping me brainstorm where this mess is headed and Tsuki for the inspiration her lovely art brings. Further apologies for this chapter taking so long to get here. Brain weasels are tricky creatures.

Haru looked around the yard, his expression thoughtful, before he turned back to address his second favorite person, who was currently fussing about in the garden, “I can’t believe you’ve already lived out here for two months. We all had a bet running that you wouldn’t last nearly this long.” The person in question straightened and shot a glare over his shoulder, blowing his bangs out of his eyes in exasperation. Dusting his hands off, he strode out from between the rows of plants carefully and came to a stop in front of his cousin as he replied, “Let me guess. Kakeru’s idea?” A head shake coupled with a roll of his eyes before he continued, “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. You’re all idiots. I’m _fine._ It’s actually been..well, amazing actually.” Yuki’s expression softened into something Haru recognized from his own experience. Being ridiculously in love with someone did that to you. He smiled gently, “We’re glad you’re happy, Yuki.” 

The shorter man blushed and looked away, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot before gesturing toward the house, “Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll wash up, and you can tell me how things are with the rest of our degenerate friends.” Haru laughed and followed Yuki into the house, shucking his shoes at the door before ambling into the kitchen and leaning a hip against the counter as he watched his cousin clean up at the sink. They spent the next few minutes catching up over the last couple weeks, Haru having missed the last game night due to a gig with his band and Yuki missing the one before that in favor of a tight deadline on an article he’d been working on. Eventually they moved into the living room, and that was where they were when Kyo ambled in a few hours later, just getting home from teaching at the dojo. Haru offered him a lazy wave in greeting, but Yuki stood up and crossed the room to draw his boyfriend into a chaste kiss, “Welcome home, Kyo. Haru was just nagging me about hosting the next game night here.”

Kyo wrapped an arm around Yuki’s waist to prevent him from stepping back after the kiss and drew him back in, head tilting as he caressed the nape of his lover’s neck with his other hand, fingers sliding up to thread through his hair as he went in for another kiss, tongue parting Yuki’s lips and delving into his mouth. He paid no mind to Haru’s presence, and after only a token protest, Yuki forgot there was anyone else in the room. Haru wolf-whistled and applauded when Kyo finally released Yuki and allowed him to step back. The writer’s face was beet red, but he reached out and took one of Kyo’s hands, threading their fingers together as he tugged him toward the couch. Expression smug, Kyo plopped down next to Yuki and addressed their guest, “I already told you there’s no way in hell you animals are all coming back here at once. Not after what happened last time.”

Haru grinned and waved a dismissive hand, “It wasn’t _that bad_. You two are so sensitive. Kakeru offered to replace the TV. And I got you new sheets.” Yuki cast a baleful glare in Haru’s direction, his earlier embarrassment forgotten in the face of his wrath. “You had _sex in our bed_. We have a guest room! You’re lucky I’m still _speaking_ to you.” Kyo grimaced at the reminder and stroked his thumb across Yuki’s knuckles in a soothing gesture. Haru only managed to look slightly repentant, but he wasn’t fooling anyone really. “I said I was sorry, and in our defense Tohru and Momiji had already passed out in the other room. And Rin and I were really drunk. We all were.” Kyo’s eyes narrowed as he joined Yuki in glaring at the lanky man sprawled casually in the armchair across from them. “I wasn’t, but I fucking wanted to be after I walked in on you two. Asshole.”

Haru relented, holding up his hands as if in surrender, “Alright, alright. I’m _sorry_. Again. We’ll host the next one. Hey, you guys can fool around in our bed if it’d make you feel any better.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and laughed when Yuki threw a throw pillow at his head. Catching it, he held it to his chest and pouted at his cousin, “Aww, c’mon Yuki, don’t be mad.” His cousin snorted and tossed his head, arms crossing as he made a show of ignoring Haru. Kyo took pity on their friend and leaned in to whisper something in Yuki’s ear. Yuki pressed his lips together and flicked his gaze to Kyo. The martial artist murmured something else and feathered kisses along his boyfriend’s throat until Yuki laughed and shoved him off. Turning to Haru, Yuki eyed him before speaking, “We are _not_ doing _anything_ in your bed, ever. Let’s just never speak of this again. And if you even think about going into our bedroom again I’ll chop off your bits and send Rin a condolence card.”

Haru threw back his head and laughed, eyes dancing when he got a hold of himself enough to look back over at his cousin and Kyo. “She’d probably tell me I got what I deserved.” His eyes lit up with a thought, and he hummed happily to himself as he tapped a finger to his chin. “We’d probably get to go toy shopping, though. Strap-ons are amazing things. Have you two…?” He trailed off at the incredulous looks on their faces and grinned at them as he continued, “Guess not. Well, that’s a shame. If you ever want any recommendations I can always—” he was cut off by another throw pillow hitting him squarely in the face, this time aimed by Kyo. Catching it as it toppled to his chest, he merely chuckled darkly and let the subject drop, his amusement response enough.

Kyo glared at Haru’s laughing form across from them and stood up with an annoyed huff. “I’m gonna go grab a shower. Yuki, think about what you want me to fix for dinner, hm? And get rid of the degenerate before I get back unless you want me to toss him out on his ass.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Yuki’s mouth before flipping Haru a one fingered salute and sauntering down the hall to their bedroom. Haru blew him a kiss and grinned at Yuki as his cousin shot him an exasperated look. The writer rolled his eyes and threw up his hands as he muttered, “You’re going to push him too far one day, and he really will toss you on your ass. You know he’s still better than you, right?” Haru gave a careless shrug and tilted his head toward Yuki. “It might be fun. You guys have never wrestled before? It’s definitely hot when Rin and I—” he ducked as another pillow flew toward his head. “Alright, alright. Jeez, you’re such a princess.”

Yuki’s cheeks flamed at the nickname, and Haru’s expression turned curious. The musician opened his mouth to ask about it when Yuki cut him off, practically hissing at him, “Don’t. Not one word. We’ll see you at game night. _Goodbye, Haru._ ” Emphasizing the dismissal, he rose and hustled a laughing Haru toward the front door. His cousin gave in and went willingly enough but managed to tug Yuki into a quick side hug, which the smaller man acquiesced to with only a slight huff, before taking his leave. With a sigh, Yuki slumped against the door long enough to collect his frazzled nerves before wandering into the kitchen and puttering around while he figured out what to have for dinner. He glanced into the pantry and worried his bottom lip with his teeth, feeling a small twinge of guilt as he did so. Kyo always cooked unless they ordered out even after a long day at the dojo or when he occasionally helped at Tohru’s cafe.

Yuki worked too, of course, but he worked from home and his job was a lot less demanding, at least physically. It just felt like Kyo did more for him most of the time, and he hated feeling useless. It was in this state that Kyo found him when he emerged from their bedroom a bit later. Seeing the tense lines of Yuki’s back and shoulders, he shook his head and eased up behind his lover, one arm going around his waist and pulling him flush against Kyo’s front while his other hand cupped Yuki’s jaw and tilted his head back, exposing the pale line of his throat. Yuki relaxed in his hold, and Kyo smiled before dipping his head to brush his lips in soft, leisurely kisses down the other man’s neck, pausing eventually to murmur against his skin, “You’re worrying about stupid shit again, aren’t you? I can tell when you hold yourself so tight like that.” Yuki mumbled something that he couldn’t quite make out. “What was that?”

The shorter man sighed and slid his eyes shut, voice soft as he replied, “It’s not stupid. You do everything for me. I want to contribute more, but you cook, you do practically all of the housework. You won’t let me anywhere near the laundry room..” He broke off, his breath hitching as Kyo nibbled on his earlobe before flicking it with his tongue and giving his hip a squeeze. The taller man turned Yuki’s face toward him with the hand still cupping his chin and kissed him softly, slowly, until Yuki was boneless and pliant, worry forgotten in favor of what Kyo was doing to him. Molten orange eyes peered down into dazed silver ones when Kyo finally released Yuki’s lips, and awareness slowly seeped back into his face as Kyo spoke, “You do enough, but if it’ll make you happy you can take over more of the cleaning. _Not the laundry._ You know why.”

Kyo turned Yuki to face him, and his lover snuggled against his chest and tucked his head underneath Kyo’s chin with a sigh as he clung to his back, slender fingers hooking in Kyo’s t-shirt. He lifted a hand and stroked Yuki’s hair gently as he continued, “Babe, you do plenty. You do all the yard work. You clean after I cook. You organize all our social crap because you know how much I hate doing it. I don’t do _everything_. I shouldn’t have called your worries stupid, but you know what I mean.” He looked down at him, eyebrows arched as he waited on a response. After a moment or two Yuki finally lifted his head to meet Kyo’s gaze, and he spoke, “It’s fine. You know how I am. It’s been better lately, but sometimes I still get..anxious.” Kyo’s fingers continued to comb through Yuki’s hair as he leaned in and kissed him lightly before pulling back to answer. “And I’ll always be here for you when you do. It’s okay, Yuki. I love you, y’know. Always.”

Yuki’s expression softened at the reassurance, and he leaned into Kyo’s feather-light touches to his hair with a pleased hum. Smiling slowly, he let his grip on Kyo’s t-shirt loosen and smoothed the wrinkles it had caused with deliberate care as he replied, “I do know, and I love you, too. As for dinner, let’s order in.” When Kyo opened his mouth to protest that he didn’t mind making something, Yuki silenced him with another light press of lips before drawing back to continue, “I feel like takoyaki from that place we both like, and we can snuggle on the couch while we catch up on that show Tohru mentioned. And then if you’re up for it, we could do something else I thought about..” He leaned into Kyo and dragged his head down so he could whisper something in his ear. The other man’s eyes widened slightly and then narrowed to match the grin that formed as he responded, “Mm, you call for take-out. I’ll set up everything else.” Yuki laughed and released him, digging his cell out of his pocket as he did so, “I thought you’d like the idea.” Scrolling to the number for the restaurant in his contacts, he smirked. It was going to be a good night.

~~

“It’s time, Tohru. I’m ready to take the next step.” Warm brown eyes met his at these words, a blinding smile forming on the face of his best friend. Kyo let out a slow breath and slumped into the armchair across from her, leaving off his pacing after his declaration. She looked like she was going to say something but changed her mind midway through and merely nodded encouragingly, waiting for him to elaborate. She knew he would if she gave him long enough. This had been coming for quite some time, and she couldn’t be more thrilled for him and Yuki both. But he had to finish the thought first. The slump didn’t last much longer than the silence before he was fidgeting in the chair, one knee bouncing as he straightened and met her gaze again. “I want to ask him to marry me. Do you think I’ve lost my mind? We’ve only been living together for six months. Maybe I’ve gone crazy.”

Shaking her head vigorously, Tohru fixed him with her most determined stare, which was _quite_ fierce for someone normally so sweet and unassuming. “No, I don’t, Kyo-kun. I think it’s the best idea you’ve ever had. I’ve always hoped you’d find someone that would make you as happy as Momiji makes me, and now that you finally have you’d be crazy _not_ to ask him.” When this was met with another sigh and more restless leg bouncing from Kyo, she tilted her head to one side thoughtfully and mulled over his continued hesitation after only moments ago saying he was ready. A sudden realization passed over her, and she started again, her tone brooking no nonsense, “It’s not the timing that’s bothering you. Or not just that. What is it, Kyo-kun? You know you can tell me anything. I’ll help however I can.”

He cursed silently to himself. Tohru knew him too well. Now he was going to have to come out with it because she’d just worry about him otherwise. Kyo really should’ve known better. Scratching the back of his neck in an unconscious show of nerves, he drew on the dregs of his courage and started talking before he could chicken out. He hated admitting any kind of weakness, but if he couldn’t trust Tohru with this (talking to Yuki about it was out of the question), then who else? “I _am_ happy. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s just..sometimes I still feel like he’s holding back parts of himself. Like..he never talks about his parents. I know they hurt him, but I don’t know what happened. I’ve shared everything with him. Shishou loves him. You guys all love him. And I know he introduced me to his brother, but it isn’t quite the same. I even—” a pregnant pause as he swallowed down the old pain, “—I told him about my mom. Ages ago. But he won’t open up to me about this one thing. I know I should let it go, that I shouldn’t push him. It shouldn’t even matter. He’s the love of my life..”

Kyo trailed off, his legs still now as his head dropped into his hands, eyes closing tightly as a frustrated growl escaped him before he could stuff it back down. Tohru was quiet for a moment, carefully considering before she leaned forward and looked at him earnestly, her voice soft, “But it does matter to you, and that’s okay. It’s okay to want him to be able to share this with you, and I’m glad you talked to him about your mom. You didn’t tell me that you had.” There was no reproach in her tone, only gentle understanding as she continued, “You don’t have to push him. Respecting his boundaries is important, and you always do. You can tell him what’s on your mind, though. Let him know you’re there for him, that you’ll wait ‘til he’s ready, but you want to be there for him in every possible way just like he has been for you. I’m sure it’ll work out, Kyo-kun.” He had pulled his hands away from his face about halfway through her speech and now looked up at her, meeting her gaze. She was so certain that sometimes he wondered if good things happened through the sheer force of her hope. He wouldn’t put it past her.

“You’re something else, you know that?” He smiled in spite of himself and ran a hand through his hair before continuing, “I’ll think about it. Thanks, Tohru.” Her answering smile was nearly as bright as her first had been, and after that the topic of conversation shifted to lighter things. Momiji was watching the cafe while they spent the afternoon together, and not for the first time Kyo was grateful for the chance to unwind and catch up with his best friend without her boisterous other half. He really didn’t mind his cousin. He loved him in fact, not that he’d ever admit that where Momiji could hear him. The very thought sent chills down Kyo’s spine. He’d never hear the end of it if the not-so-little anymore wretch got confirmation. Grimacing ruefully, he tuned back into what Tohru was saying about their last get-together with all of their friends and nodded along. He really didn’t know what he’d do without her sometimes.

~~

Yuki peered at his brother over the rim of his teacup, his expression wary. Ayame had greeted him with his usual exuberance and had chattered excitedly for the first half hour of their visit, positively thrilled by the fact that Yuki had asked to see him of his own volition. The older man was quieter now, having lapsed into an uncharacteristic moment of solemnity as Yuki had finally come out with why he’d asked to speak to Aya alone. So this was about their parents. Aya had wondered when this might come up, and now that it finally had he was holding himself back, carefully waiting on Yuki to open up. Taking a deep breath, Yuki placed his cup carefully back in its saucer and resumed speaking, “I know you still talk to them, Nii-san. I just..wondered. Things with Kyo are serious. I wouldn’t bother otherwise, but part of me has been considering..trying again. They _are_ my parents, and I know he wonders about them, even if he doesn’t ask. Do you think it’s worth it?”

Pale golden eyes widened fractionally in shock, and Ayame had to take a grounding breath and remind himself not to spring at his brother and hug him tightly. He couldn’t quite contain the emotion in his voice when he responded, but he hoped that Yuki would appreciate the effort nonetheless. “You’re asking _me_ for advice? Little brother, I never thought this day would come. I shall endeavor not to crush this olive branch. I’m so very glad you came to me.” So one couldn’t expect miracles. It was Aya, after all. He continued, “As to our parents, I worry about them hurting you. I do speak with them occasionally..as little as possible, really. You know how they are. Nothing has changed in that regard, I’m afraid. If you did reach out, I’d urge you to be careful. And to temper your expectations. You could tell him, you know. Kyonkichi would understand. He loves you.”

The younger man met his brother’s gaze squarely and nodded slightly in response to the last bit, his voice soft with feeling, “I know he does. It’s what makes me want to try. He makes me feel like I can be..brave.” He picked his cup back up and tapped the side idly with a fingertip as he thought of what he wanted to say next. Talking about their parents always made him feel anxious, but it was less today. _You wanted this,_ he reminded himself. It was one of the last remaining hurdles keeping him from being completely open with Kyo, and the other man deserved that after everything they’d been through together, after everything they were to each other. Taking a sip of tea, he mulled for another minute or two before refocusing on his brother and picking up the thread of the conversation, “I know you worry, Nii-san. Thank you. I’ll think it over for a little while longer, but I _will_ be careful. I promise.” Waving aside the topic as if he were clearing the air of a bad smell, he changed the subject. “Anyway, you said you’d been wanting to have me over before I called, something about news? Is everything alright?” 

Aya hesitated at the change in subject, chewing the inside of his cheek for a moment as he thought. He had originally intended for both of their significant others to be here when he brought up this particular bit of news, but he knew that Mine wouldn’t mind. Now that Yuki was looking at him with that slight wrinkle of concern drawing his eyebrows down Ayame couldn’t quite resist the urge to reassure him. “Oh that, yes of course! Everything is wonderful, in fact. I wanted you to be one of the first to know. I’ve spoken with Gure and Tori-san already, but other than them you’re the one I wanted to tell most in the world. Yuki you’re going to be an uncle!” Eyes shining, Ayame looked over to gauge his brother’s reaction, hands fluttering in his lap in an unconscious show of nerves as he waited.

For his part, Yuki was surprised into stillness, the worry on his face replaced with astonishment. After a moment, he shook himself into action, noting Ayame’s unusual anxiousness and working to reassure his brother that he was happy for him and Mine both. “Mine’s pregnant? I didn’t even know you were thinking about kids, Nii-san. Congratulations!” He reached out and patted his brother’s shoulder, a smile curving the corners of his mouth upward. Aya’s answering smile was bright, if a bit unsure as he replied, “Yes, we’ve discussed it before, and since the launch of my line went so well we thought it was a good time to start trying, and now here we are…” He trailed off, and Yuki’s eyebrows went up as he watched his brother’s face. This really _was_ unlike him to be so hesitant, and Yuki again felt the need to reassure him somehow. “Nii-san, I think you’ll be an amazing dad. For what it’s worth.” 

He wasn’t expecting the tears that slowly spilled down Ayame’s cheeks at the unexpected praise and opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could get a word out his brother had flung himself across the space between them and pulled him into a clinging embrace, suddenly bubbling over with his more typical effervescent happiness, “Thank you, little brother. I wasn’t sure how you would take the news. It’s wonderful, of course, and Mine will be a fabulous mother. She’s already glowing, you know. I’ve got so many ideas for the nursery. Did you know—” and from there Aya regaled him with plans the prospective parents had for the coming months. For once Yuki was happy to sit back and let Aya’s happy chatter wash over him, sharing in his brother’s joy. It had certainly been a surprise, especially with the original purpose of today’s meeting in mind, but it wasn’t an unwelcome one. He was going to be an uncle. _I wonder what Kyo’s going to think of this._ The thought made him smile as he returned his attention to his brother’s rambling.

~~

Hearing the front door click shut, Kyo wiped his hands on a dish towel and stepped into the main living area from where he’d been doing meal prep in the kitchen. His smile was warm and welcoming as he slung the towel over his shoulder to free up his hands and crossed the room to tug his lover into an embrace after Yuki had removed his shoes. “Hey there. How’d your visit with your brother go?” He was effectively silenced as Yuki fisted a hand in the front of his t-shirt and tugged him down into a kiss. A pleased growl escaped him as he slid his arms around Yuki’s waist and pulled him flush against him. When they broke apart to catch their breath, he chuckled darkly at the flush that had crept up the other man’s cheeks. He arched an eyebrow and waited to see if Yuki would answer his question.

A bit breathless, Yuki smoothed the front of Kyo’s shirt with slender fingers to give himself time to collect his thoughts. Glancing back up at his boyfriend’s face, he took in the smirk the other was giving him and huffed a bit before answering, “It was fine. He was a bit nervous, actually. Turns out he had some news of his own he wanted to talk about. They’re going to be parents. Mine’s due in August.” He watched as Kyo’s expression shifted from bemused to surprised to pleased for them in rapid succession. The slightly taller man grinned down at Yuki and voiced a reply, amusement still evident in his tone, “That’ll be something. So you’re gonna be an uncle, hm? I wonder if they’ll have a boy or a girl.” 

Yuki’s hands stilled on Kyo’s chest, and his gaze dropped to them as he hesitated for a moment before murmuring quietly, “ _We_ are.” He clarified his statement after he dared glancing up to take in Kyo’s confusion. “We’re going to be uncles. You’re stuck with me, after all.” He didn’t get the opportunity to see the look on Kyo’s face before he was being swept into a searing kiss. Apparently there weren’t any objections to the sentiment. Several moments later, Yuki and Kyo broke apart, breathing hard, and Kyo cradled him close as Yuki tucked his head under his chin in a familiar gesture. He smiled when tan fingers combed idly through his hair while Kyo continued to hold him close. The other’s voice rumbled low in his chest as he spoke, “The things I put up with.” A bark of laughter followed when Yuki pinched Kyo on his side in retaliation.

Grinning, Kyo tugged him into the kitchen so they could chat as he finished up what he’d been working on and put everything away. He liked to prep meals for the week so he’d have less to do if there was a night he didn’t feel like cooking. It was also a way to guarantee that Yuki wouldn’t burn down their kitchen when all he had to do was take something out of the fridge and maybe warm it up. After Yuki finished telling him about the rest of his visit with Ayame, sans the discussion about their parents, Kyo in turn told him about his afternoon with Tohru, also carefully avoiding the fact that he’d mentioned wanting to propose. That was a discussion for a later date. Tonight all Kyo wanted to do was relax and have dinner with his favorite person. And maybe later he could distract Yuki from the movie they were supposed to watch together. Yes, now _that_ sounded like a perfect night. Kyo smiled and followed Yuki down the hall, intent on making his desires a reality. It was good to have goals.


End file.
